The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) emphasizes the importance of inclusion and equality in services for persons with disabilities. Specifically, Article 19 of the UNCRPD outlines the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community. This means that services, whether educational, health-related, or otherwise, should not be segregated but instead provided in an inclusive manner that promotes participation and integration into society.
This principle calls for services to be accessible and delivered in mainstream settings, ensuring that persons with disabilities have the same opportunities as others without being isolated or treated differently. This aligns with the broader goals of fostering inclusion, equality, and respect for human dignity, as outlined by the UNCRPD.
This requires a shift from traditional, segregated models of care and education to a more integrated approach, where persons with disabilities live, learn, and engage in the same environments as everyone else, with the necessary accommodations to meet their needs.
In practice, this includes:
Accessibility: Ensuring that education, healthcare, employment, and public spaces are fully accessible is foundational to inclusion. This includes not only physical access but also access to information, communication, and services that consider the diverse needs of persons with disabilities.
Policy Implementation: While inclusive policies may exist on paper, their implementation often lags behind. Commitment to ensuring that these policies are fully enacted is essential. For example, ensuring that mainstream schools have adequate resources, funding, and teacher training programs that focus on inclusive education. Additionally, monitoring and accountability mechanisms should be in place to track the implementation and impact of these policies.
Societal Attitudes: One of the greatest barriers to inclusion is societal attitudes. In Malta, there are still challenges in terms of how disability is perceived. Deep-rooted stereotypes and biases can lead to segregation, even if unintentionally. Shifting societal attitudes to embrace diversity and difference as valuable assets is crucial.
Education Streaming and Segregated Services: A Step Backwards
Education streaming, where students with disabilities are placed in separate programs or schools based on their perceived abilities, can have a long-term negative impact on their development and social integration. It creates barriers between children with disabilities and their peers, reinforcing the idea that disability is something to be separated or "fixed." Such approaches can reduce the opportunities for students with disabilities to develop social skills, form friendships, and be part of their broader school community.
Instead, inclusive education promotes the idea that all students, regardless of ability, can learn together in the same environment with the necessary supports. It aligns with the UNCRPD's vision of equality, non-discrimination, and participation in society.
Marthese Mugliette
President Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability
The Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD) is the national umbrella organisation for the disability sector. It is the voice of, approximately, 37,000 persons with disability in the Maltese islands. It has 44 enrolled member organisations all working within the disability sector.