Disability group calls out 'segregation' in post-secondary education programme
The group said it was 'unacceptable' that the LifeMap scheme segregates those involved
A disability advocacy group has blasted a recently announced government training programme for youths with disabilities as “discriminatory”, noting no prior consultation had been carried out.
In a statement, the Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD) said it was “unacceptable” that the LifeMap scheme announced last month for youths aged 16 and above segregates persons with disabilities.
It said "segregated” services “go directly against” the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which it noted pledges to “leave no one behind”.
MFOPD called on authorities to “halt this discriminatory approach and to engage in genuine consultation with representative organisations of persons with disabilities and truly listen to what they are saying”.
The LifeMap scheme begins this month and will be based at a centre in Pembroke. It offers post-secondary training for young adults.
Announcing the scheme last month, Education Minister Clifton Grima called the scheme a “value-added programme based on three key pillars: Life skills and employability, therapy, and social enterprise skills”.
He said 45 students had applied and been accepted onto the scheme, which includes a €500 annual grant for three years.
The MFOPD statement was signed by MFOPD president Marthese Mugliette.