It is a common belief that the annual celebration worldwide of particular issues is enough to address the real challenges surrounding them. However, concerns are never erased with a week-long commemoration, no matter how eloquent our celebration may be.
We all think that celebrating annual events is always a good opportunity to take stock of where we stand on the particular issue we are remembering, giving us an opportunity to react and plan accordingly. Likewise, however, celebrating such issues annually is also a clear declaration that we have as yet not achieved what we set out to do and that the agenda is still ‘work in progress’. This is why we need to remain focused, committed and engaged when facing those challenges.
Today is World Disability Day
It is established that this particular theme provides us with an opportunity to consider how people with disability are excluded from society and to promote the removal of all types of barriers. These accessibility barriers are in respect of the physical environment, information and communications technology (ICT) as well as attitudinal barriers. Such themes have been appearing on the world agenda since 1992, when the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 December as International Day of People with Disability.
This year's theme, The Future We Want, includes several goals that are intended to create a more equitable and inclusive world for people with disabilities. Indeed, it enhances my role in the Labour Government that Malta has chosen social inclusion as one of its major commitments during its Presidency of the EU Council. It was, in fact, a major point that I reiterated in my message on behalf of the Maltese government to the high-level meeting last Wednesday in Brussels, where delegates marked European Disability Week.
Despite being a small country, Malta has placed the disability sector very high on its agenda, and our policies and initiatives are paying dividends. They have been supported by a long list of specific laws that focus on the nature of specific disabilities, protecting the human rights of individual groups, thus ensuring accessibility and inclusion. We have implemented specialised training programmes aimed at employability and these have led to a considerable increase in the number of people with disability being included the labour market. We have strengthened pre-existing services and created new ones to address more requirements.
All the projects and positive results have stemmed from our commitment to establish a society that is factually fair and just to everyone, whatever the level of ability and the support required. Determination and tireless consultation with everyone involved, including the beneficiaries themselves, have been the key factors in our achievements. Resting on our laurels is, however, not our style and we forge ahead with greater impetus in this and all other sectors.
‘Rights and Duties’ – the CRPD’s theme
This year, our own – transformed – Commission for the Rights of People with Disabilities chose an important warning as its theme. Here again, it was a pleasure to address everyone involved at the annual national conference on disability. The rights for people with disability necessarily imply our collective duty to secure their implementation at a relentless pace.
The stark reality is the expectation that, by 2020, 120 million Europeans will experience a degree of disability – a figure that increases the need for accessibility in everyday life. The Maltese EU Presidency will continue the work of the Legislative Proposals carried out by the Dutch and Slovakian Presidencies regarding the much-awaited Accessibility Act. Conscious of the challenges and legitimate expectations, the Maltese Presidency will also work towards reaching an agreement with the European Parliament on this legislation.
If we are to take this agenda forward to the point where all those with disability are really and truly active citizens, where children with disability have a voice and where people with disability can determine their own agenda, then we need to make a concerted effort to continue involving them in the design of social policy. During its important role within the EU in the coming months, Malta will work towards those targets. I also relayed this message at a conference in Gozo entitled Accessibility in our localities organised by the Gozo Federation of DPOs.
The elderly and the dementia challenge
Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to address the Slovak EU Presidency conference on dementia in Bratislava. It is always encouraging to witness how our performance in this sector is constantly positively acknowledged by our counterparts around Europe.
Our national strategy on dementia outlines the various measures that are being undertaken in the different priority areas. These include an increase in awareness and understanding of dementia, the provision of timely diagnosis, the availability of a professionally-trained workforce, improving community and hospital care, promoting an ethical approach to dementia care and strengthening research in this field. The developments of our dementia-friendly community pilot project in San Lawrenz are being keenly followed by other member states.
For the last three years, Malta has also been very active in sustaining the dementia objective at the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, not to mention the EU itself and it will also be included at an important technical meeting in May during the Maltese Presidency.
Malta’s first Commissioner for the Elderly
On my return from Bratislava I had the honour of announcing Malta’s first Commissioner for the Elderly – Mrs Helen Mallia, a seasoned activist in the elderly and pensioners’ areas, as well as being a very experienced trade unionist. Together with her team of equally dedicated experts, she will be proactive in the new position we created only a few months ago through specific legislation.
In her new office Mrs Mallia will promote and safeguard the interests of older people and investigate any alleged or potential breach of their fundamental human rights. She will find the necessary tools to carry her duties in the National Policy and Strategy for the Elderly, established by this government over the last three years. The new Commissioner will also measure the many interests of the elderly through the national minimum standards we put in place this year for residential homes.
The first standards authority for homes for the elderly
On Wednesday, in Parliament, it was most satisfying to move the second reading of the Bill establishing a national Authority to implement standards for all homes for the elderly. Rising above the customary trivial criticism, I consider it positive that the Opposition has agreed to legislation that has been long-waited, over many decades, when their previous administrations had offered it little more than lip-service.
The new Authority will be entrusted with evaluating all new applications for homes for the elderly, the renewal of current licences and the monitoring of levels of services provided, and staff levels, in all homes – whether state or privately managed. Despite the lack of such an Authority, in the last two years I have insisted on having regular audits of such premises, with 63 inspections carried by our experts in no fewer than 30 homes.
The Homes for Older People (Care Quality Standards) Authority Bill will now create the indispensable legislation that will act as a regulator and watchdog over the running of such homes. For the umpteenth time, we are implementing our resolve to our ultimate aim to ensure the physical, emotional, legal and social protection and well-being of older people – wherever they are.
Looking back on such a short space of time with a Labour administration, we have indeed ‘walked the talk’ in both the elderly and the disability sectors. With such busy schedules of projects, legislation and innovative measures, Labour’s dream of establishing a fair society is consistently taking shape and the coming years will see us carrying out more work and achieving further success!