We have taken great strides forward from even a few decades ago when people with disabilities were locked away because of the stigma attached to it. When it came to mental disabilities, the stigma was even worse.

Over the years, things have improved, but there are still many issues which need to be addressed, and the new National Policy on the Rights of Persons with a Disability which was launched yesterday should improve matters somewhat.

The policy has many aims, but the most important step is to actually observe those laws which have already been implemented but are not respected or observed. A very common one would be accessibility, particularly in modern buildings that have ramps that are far too steep for wheelchair users to use.

The underlying rationale of the National Policy for the Rights of Persons with Disability is that even a person with disability has the right to live a full and dignified life, and rightly so.

There were many issues highlighted in the said policy document, such as more emphasis on sign language for the hearing impaired, free child care, employment quotas and much, much more.

But we also need a culture change in terms of our attitude. Disabled people can do some amazing things. Many play sports and Malta has a wheelchair dancing couple who always fare well in international competitions. We should be proud of them and we should be proud of each and every individual who has some form of disability.

Disability is no barrier to life - just look at astro physicist Stephen Hawking - he is confined to a motorised chair and speaks through a synthesizer after a progressively debilitating illness took away some of abilities. Yet, he is still one of the finest minds that graces the surface of our planet.

To go back to a point mentioned earlier, Malta needs to make more effort with accessibility - ffrom lifts, to ramps, to disabled friendly furniture. Another area which needs improvement is equipment such as street crossings that feature aids such as studs underfoot for the blind and flashing lights to assist the hard of hearing.

There should also be more effort from the private sector to ensure that customer service centres, for example, cater for T-loop technology and Braille. The government will also be enforcing the 2% quote on employee complement for companies which employ more than 20 persons and this should allow for a more level playing field when people seek employment.

But, we must also look at the practical things. We cannot have situations where people in wheelchairs, or even the elderly who have difficulty walking for that matter, cannot get into banks, shops, churches and any other building that is used in everyday life. This is a very positive move and should be welcomed by all as a leap forward in our country's journey towards more civil rights - surely one of the government's strong points so far into this legislature.