Persons with disabilities will benefit from individualized services and programs through a new community centre run by Agenzija Sapport in Rabat.
A government statement said Friday that with an expenditure of over €200,000, Ġirasol, a house in Tal Virtù, Rabat, has been equipped with facilities to allow various professionals from Agenzija Sapport to conduct specialized sessions with people with disabilities according to their individual plans.
Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said that this inauguration marks the implementation of another electoral measure.
The programs include independent living sessions by Support Workers, Occupational Therapists and others, practical individual or group sessions for people with disabilities seeking employment through the ‘Way to Work’, and individual or group social activities between people with disabilities and volunteers as part of the Sharing Lives service.
The plan for this project was developed after observing that people with disabilities who receive services from Agenzija Sapport benefit more if they follow a structured program in a suitable environment.
The statement said that this project further extends the agency’s services within the community, increases accessibility to services, and facilitates the implementation of services by offering a space designed for people with different needs.
Farrugia Portelli said that the fact that this centre is in the heart of the Rabat community is not coincidental.
“It sends a message that people with disabilities are an integral part of the community. This centre will serve as a reference point for professionals to monitor the development of people with disabilities on an individual basis,” Farrugia Portelli said.
CEO of Agenzija Sapport Oliver Scicluna explained how this community project aligns with the agency’s mission to provide community-based programs to enhance the abilities of people with disabilities for independent living, where they can be trained in daily life activities and, with personalised support, can learn to do things with less or no assistance.
“This is also the core of the agency's strategy towards deinstitutionalization,” Scicluna said.
Mayor of Rabat Sandro Craus reiterated the Local Council's commitment to more projects of this nature.
"The inclusive element remains a fundamental pillar of our work. We are determined to continue ensuring that the society and urban environment around us are not only fully accessible but offer the best possible help as close as possible to the community,” Craus said, welcoming projects of this kind.
Present at the inauguration were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Nancy Caruana, the local archpriest Fr. Joseph Mizzi, and the Deputy Mayor of the Rabat Local Council.