The stark realities of live can strike us in many ways, but unless they hit us personally, they have a habit of fading away in our busy lives. The harsher ones may survive a bit longer if they manage to touch our hearts and, whatever we may be doing, they will keep returning every now and then, re-awaking the same awe from when we first encountered them.

It happened to me over the festive season when I had a cursory read of an account by Sophie Morgan in the British media. It all came back to mind when I recently witnessed a quasi-similar instance at a local venue which – fortunately – is an exception to the rule in the local hospitality scene.

What was so impressing about Sophie’s narration? Let’s go through her first lines: “Bedecked with trees, heaving with baubles and festooned in even more twinkling fairy-lights than usual, London’s legendary hotel is unquestionably at its most majestic at this time of year. Dressed in a brand-new designer frock, sparkly earrings and my favourite knee-high boots, I don’t look so bad myself. My girlfriends and I arrive at the main entrance, amid a glamorous stream of evening-gowned women heading up the flight of steps as though they are at an awards ceremony. We are here to enjoy some festive drinks – but the cheer soon evaporates. You see, I am in a wheelchair and there is no way up those film-star steps!”

 

The brave lady

I wasn’t sure whether to be sad or angry about what Sophie continued to describe. “‘I’m afraid you’ll have to go round the back,’ says one of the doormen politely. He leads my friend and me to a garage-like blue door. We find ourselves in a car park, head past large black bins smelling of kitchen waste and go through a darkish door into a cloakroom-turned-storeroom. It feels as if Christmas has been cancelled; I really didn’t think I would have to sneak in past the rubbish before I could enjoy sitting with my friends and sipping our first drink.”

Sophie was paralysed from the waist down in a car crash in 2003 and for her, and anyone else in her situation, the hotel’s back door is a depressingly familiar nightmare. We can transpose such an occurrence into a thousand similar instances experienced by so many people with a disability around us in everyday life. And this notwithstanding all the hard work we as the government, and so many brave people in the voluntary sector, continuously put in. It is one of those stark, crude realities that push us further in our efforts to ensure the rights of people with disabilities. Most importantly, those rights need to be implanted in people’s minds, if we are ever to avoid such sour moments as people such Sophie have to experience. Such instances cannot go unnoticed – they keep us constantly on alert.

Sophie’s words keep coming to mind. “I may be in a wheelchair, but I’m 28 and not quite ready to become housebound yet, nor institutionalised. Sadly, enjoying outings with family and friends or visits to some renowned restaurants has been made almost impossible. So much so that I often choose to stay in with friends rather than suffer the indignity of having to be carried up or down a flight of stairs every time I want to use the bathroom!”

 

Higher charges for accessibility

Despite these setbacks and hurdles, she has involved herself in a nationwide campaign to investigate accessibility for the disabled at hotels and restaurants. Her findings should shame those in the hospitality business who ignore the very existence of this important part of society. It transpires that, out of more than 120 luxury hotels, only 66 claim to be accessible to disabled people. In reality, only the odd dozen or so are fully and permanently available to them and to add insult to injury, more than 30 of them charge higher prices for suitably adapted hotel rooms, while reception and restaurant areas can present immediate hurdles for those with mobility problems.

Sophie’s findings should bring all those concerned to their senses at a time when we work for inclusivity and equality, believing that accessibility is a foregone solution. As a matter of fact, it is not – and perhaps if we take a quick look closer to home, we can still identify some places that have not yet complied with the relevant laws, strategies and national standards.

I am absolutely sure – and thankful – that the National Commission for People with Disabilities is keeping a watchful eye on all establishments in this respect to ensure that all legislation and policies that my Parliamentary Secretariat has enacted are being fully observed.

 

Keeping a closer watch on our own challenges

No matter how many accounts we read about from other, larger, countries, as the person responsible on behalf of the government for this part of our society, I have to keep a close watch on our own challenges in this sector. The fully-fledged and very recently opened Learning Hub in Għajnsielem is already enjoying high participation levels, due to the unfailing support given by the Malta Communications Authority and the Employment and Training Corporation for the initiatives taken by my Parliamentary Secretariat.

The national Special Olympics Committee is now operating both in Malta and Gozo with great success. The same can be said for the residences in the community in Siġġiewi and Gozo, as well as others that will be up and running this year in other areas. Here again, I reiterate that my Secretariat’s schedule is de facto work in progress. Whether some people like it or not, gone are the days of finding solace in sweet buzz-words.

We are now gearing up for a national conference, in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry, with a view to involving the hospitality industry in our endeavours for the rights of people with disabilities. With the right legislation and structures in place, Malta can achieve the full inclusion of disabled people in the flourishing tourism industry.  

 

Wheelchairs – no bar to leadership

Recalling Sophie’s account as an eye-opener, I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that such occurrences will never – in any way – be reported about Malta or Gozo. I have every confidence that senior management in the tourist industry will likewise ensure the highest levels of responsibility in respect of people with disabilities, not only among their own staff but also in their accommodation and entertainment facilities. 

Sophie’s story reminds me of another brave woman I had the honour of meeting and discussing policies with – Daniela Bas, the director of the Division for Social Policy and Development of DESA at the United Nations. Daniela, who is also wheelchair-bound, leads a formidable team of experts. She has such a charming personality and is my inspiration in everything needs to be done locally. She is not only a precious source of information but also an invaluable guide for encouraging policy-makers the world over to adopt the necessary structures towards full social inclusion for people with disabilities. 

I look forward to having Daniela, in her guiding role, to help us further and more closely in the coming months to strengthen and refine our commitment. Of one thing I am quite sure: we will never allow anyone, anywhere in this country, to greet people with a disability with a friendly smile and then show them the back door!