Disability has always been a social issue close to heart. I have been involved in the sector for years on end and whilst I have seen some interesting developments during my career lifespan there are also a great number of issues that still need to be addressed (or rather should have been tackled way back).

Nevertheless, hosting such a big event as the EU-Arab HighLevel Meeting on Disability Rights held in Malta, coordinated by Dr Alistair Degaetano on behalf of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Disability and Active

Aging, one of the most committed upcoming disabled activists in this sector, is a sign that things are going in the right direction. We have also seen the setting up of a junior Ministry in these last two legislatures partly dedicated to the sector and a Commission (CRPD) that, under the direction of the young disabled activist, Commissioner Oliver Scicluna, is also seeing through a number of fascinating advances.

We also have decent legislation, standards and guidelines and some good edges going by a number of NGOs and forthcoming disabled activists.

Nonetheless, this is not enough. We still have serious attitudinal barriers that together with physical obstacles don’t seem to abate.

I caught up with Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane, another young and fledgling academic within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing who is leading the Department of Disability Studies.

I started by exploring what her research interests are. She says that, ‘Sexuality and persons with disability’ is an area that she is deeply committed to, “focusing in particular on sexual health, sex education, sexual exploration and sexual expression of intellectually disabled youth. The social perceptions of disabled people’s sexuality are also another area I am working on.”

I go on to ask her about how our societies are evolving in terms of social inclusion. She says, “I would say social wellbeing should be a state where not only the basic needs are catered for but also the individual and personal needs.

This is the fine line that will give a person a respectable quality of life.”

We moved on to an issue that is close to her heart, ‘disability rights’. Dr Azzopardi Lane had this to say: “Fighting for disability rights is still necessary, as there still is discrimination and abuse happening in our society. The cost of fighting for disability rights mostly translates in frustration, especially when you see how these rights are repeatedly being infringed.”

When I tried to explore what are the variables that would make society function better in this area she says, “Possibly, equal access to education, employment and social services.”

She goes on to say that, “It is not only disabled persons I am referring to, but persons from low socio-economic backgrounds but also other minorities found in our communities.” Whilst she is hopeful, Dr Azzopardi-Lane also makes reference to the fact that, ‘our communities still have to contend with exploitation, poverty, discrimination and exclusion and other underlying issues like xenophobia and racism.’ In her own words, “When it comes to civil and human rights, disability and other minorities are not out of the woods.”

Focusing once again on disability issues she says that, “The disability sector has made a positive leap forward in the last six years or so, however challenges remain for those persons who require substantial support.”

She says that nonetheless, “Disabled people still struggle with housing and lack of independent living opportunities. Due to the lack of housing possibilities, disabled people are living in institutions that are not up to their expectations and it also means we are not in line with the UN CRPD ratification that our Country has endorsed. We also have other situations whereby family members do not let the disabled members in the family exercise their rights and choices.”

It is true that Government has developed a number of community homes, is guided by the first disability policy and currently working on a disability strategy and resourcing the CRPD and Agenzija SAPPORT, however, there is still so much more work that needs to be done.

In fact, what seems to worry Dr Azzopardi Lane is that,

“The rights of disabled persons to have access to information, services, choice making and simply going from one place to another in their towns and villages is being stifled.”

“Let’s face it,” Dr Azzopardi Lane says, “access in all its forms is still not equal with that of non-disabled persons.”

The Head of the Department of Disability Studies says that this continues to corroborate the need to keep researching disability issues so that academia can present tangible ideas for policy and service implementation.

“Disability studies help us understand how we can change peoples’ perspectives. We see this happening with every cohort of students who read our courses. The out-ofdate ways of perceiving disability and disabled persons’ changes when people are exposed to disability studies. We need to see disability as a social issue, rather than a medical and clinical deficiency or within a framework of tragedy and charity. As a Faculty and as a Department we need to keep providing the empirical data that will give the politicians and policy makers the data to take the necessary actions,” Azzopardi Lane claims.

The following courses will be offered during the forthcoming academic year:

- Certificate Course in Community Access for Disabled Persons (It may be extended by another two semesters on a part-time basis leading to a Diploma in Community Access for Disabled People, and yet again extended to a further two semesters leading to a Higher Diploma in Community Access for Disabled People).

- Continuous Personal Development courses, on ‘Disability Issues in Practice’ and ‘Safeguarding Disabled Peoples Rights’.

MPhil/PhD Please contact: [email protected]