Disabled persons urged to join forces

Persons with disability should join forces rather than fight their battles alone if they wanted to have an impact, the chairman of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, Joseph Camilleri said.

"Let us forget our personal interests, especially those between one disability and another. We are already in a minority, but together we can bring down the barriers - Together we will get there," Mr Camilleri said.

Mr Camilleri was yesterday speaking at a press conference organised at the Hotel Grand Mercure Coralia San Antonio in Bugibba to mark the International Day of People with a Disability.

The commission is organising a week of events which started last Saturday with a solidarity walk and will come to an end on Sunday with the official opening of a residential home for people with disability in Zejtun.

These events are being organised in collaboration with the Federation of Organisations for Persons with Disability, National Mental Health Commission, the Pastoral council for Persons with Disability and the Local Councils Association.

Mr Camilleri said this week of events was just a prelude to numerous other activities held throughout next year: 2003 has been chosen as the European Year for Persons with Disability.

The commission yesterday also distributed a message to all the schools for children and released another message for adults.

Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi also released a ministerial message to the public, while President Guido de Marco yesterday opened the annual general meeting of the Federation of Organisations for Persons with Disability.

The commission welcomed the fact that most of its proposals had started to be accepted and that more money had been allocated to the services for persons with disability.

Meanwhile, the General Workers' Union public services section issued a statement calling on the government to commit itself to improving the status of workers with a disability.

The union pointed out that there were several persons with a disability who were carrying out the duties of a messenger, but they could not apply officially for the post because they were not in possession of a driving licence.

"These people have been automatically disqualified because they cannot drive. On the other hand the government is not prepared to provide a specialised, automatic car for them," it said.