European Commission figures, by allowing for easy comparison between national statistics, have transformed the way governments set their policy priorities. Without the statistics we need for comparative analysis, and a peer group like the EU member states, we wouldn’t know when we’re falling behind or pulling ahead on specific
policy areas.
But what recent figures say for the 80 million European citizens living with a mild to severe disability should concern us all – even if Malta stands out from the wider European trend of welfare cuts and high unemployment.
The European debt crisis and the consequent need for budgetary consolidation in all but a minority of member states, has had an especially detrimental impact on the material welfare of disabled members of society. As governments do battle with their budget deficits, cuts have been made across the board. Inevitably, though Malta has so far been spared a similar fate, welfare spending is a prime target. Some member states have even gone as far as to reduce disability allowances, services for the disabled, and have reassessed the criteria for access to disability allowances.
The hardship this is causing is no doubt heightened by the fact that disabled people, who account for one-sixth of the EU’s working age population, are twice as likely to be unemployed, according to the European Commission. In the United Kingdom, for example, the New Policy Institute estimates that the poverty rate among disabled people is double the national average, which may be further exacerbated by the UK government’s recent decisions to limit unemployment and disability allowances.
In the worst hit economies, the situation is bleaker still. The EUobserver reports, for example, that disability allowances in Ireland have been cut by almost €900 per year per person since 2008 and the pay for carers is also falling. In Latvia, a country under a harsh though effective austerity programme, no disability allowances even exist.
Given that countries under pressure to rein in their deficits can all too easily target disability allowances for savings, it may be time to introduce safeguards across the European Union to ensure that allowances do not fall below a certain threshold. Such measures would however require all member states to be on board and the prevailing economic climate augurs poorly for a consensus on this.
Until then, European policy on disability issues remains underpinned by the 2010 EU Disability Strategy. It outlines a 10-year strategy for people with disabilities, the ultimate aim being that they can take part in all aspects of life and exercise their full rights as citizens of the EU. The strategy’s specific targets include a plan for inclusive education, the creation of disability cards to ensure equal treatment when working or travelling in the EU, putting an end to discriminatory practices in schools and the workplace, creating accessibility to voting premises for the disabled, and ensuring the European Platform Against Poverty includes particular concerns for those with disabilities.
Our own national laws have proven to be effective, particularly in terms of access to the labour force and education and training, and are in line with the EU Disability Strategy. The number of unemployed disabled people registering for work in Malta now numbers 415, according to the latest National Statistics Office figures. In proportion to overall unemployment, this is one of the lowest figures in Europe. However, though the number of disabled people actively seeking work remains low, there may still be many more who could be productively integrated into the workforce.
A helpful initiative in this regard was the Equal Opportunities Act, adopted by Parliament in 2010. It aims to provide disabled people with equal opportunities in numerous areas of social life, especially in the labour market and education. The act prohibits discriminatory employment practices and also requires employers to meet any special requirements or modifications needed for disabled employees. The EOA further requires schools to provide disabled students with alternative arrangements, individual assistive apparatuses for students who are hearing and visually impaired, and calls for the removal of physical obstacles to allow for wheelchair accessibility.
Returning to the European level, the conditions for people living with a disability in several European countries have deteriorated along with their economies. This has been the case for most people in crisis-stricken countries but the crucial difference is that disabled people are far more vulnerable to unemployment and are, at least in part, dependent on various forms of social assistance for their livelihood. The rift between average unemployment and poverty rates and the rates for disabled people in several European countries demonstrates clearly that there are severe economic implications to living with a disability.
A fundamental principle shared by the vast majority of Europeans is equality of opportunity, whatever the circumstances of one’s birth. If a person is unable to take advantage of opportunities due to circumstances wholly out of his or her control, then society should step in to ensure that he or she has the means to live a dignified life. Should the debt crisis rippling through Europe force us to debase this fundamental tenet of human dignity then that would, perhaps, be the greatest loss we suffer.
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP