Travelling to Malta with teenagers

I note from a Times of Malta article (August 10) that travel to Malta is lower than other European countries.

If only Malta had not been so intransigent in applying rules to teenagers over vaccines there would have been many more visitors from England.

In my case, 14 have cancelled their holidays as each part of the family has a teenager. I know of many others.

It is obvious, from advertisements extollingthe virtues of Malta and the availability of hotel accommodation in newspapers, Google and numerous other sites, that Malta is suffering badly because of its policy.

Will we be able to visit next year?

Michael Barnes – Surrey, England

Celebrating the present… saluting the past

Disabled people in Malta have been offered advice on how best to maximise their personal mobility and lead more independent lives since 2011. Photo: Shutterstock.com

When I read the Times of Malta article entitled ‘Driver test station for people with disability set up at Ħal Far’ (August 6), I was seriously concerned that my memory was failing me. But, then, I recalled that relentless summer heat and general election hysteria may make people hallucinate.

The article reports the inclusion minister announcing a seemingly exciting innovation, which would be “… instrumental in helping [disabled] people lead a more independent life”. However, computerised driving assessments for disabled people were introduced in Malta a number of years ago.

It was June 16, 2011, when the then Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b’Diżabilità (CRPD in its present manifestation) inaugurated the Sonia Tanti Independent Living Centre (STILC) in Ħal Far. STILC immediately began offering advice to help disabled people maximise their personal mobility and thereby lead more independent lives.

For the first time ever in Malta, occupational therapists were able to assess disabled people’s potential on a state-of-the-art, computerised driving simulator purchased from the United States. In another first, disabled people were referred to specially trained driving instructors who could, in turn, make use of two of STILC’s specially adapted vehicles to help train prospective disabled drivers.

STILC and the services it offers were created as a result of a decades-long campaign to change attitudes, raise funds and to foster the necessary expertise in mobility training. All of this was achieved through the tireless efforts of KNPD’s secretariat, disabled activists, parents of disabled people, NGOs and professionals working in the field, high-level backing by a few enlightened politicians and, last but by no means least, generous EU funding.

There are no superheroes working “magic”. Useful, lasting change only comes about as a result of the long, hard slog and sacrifice of many people, past and present.

I, for one, am happy to celebrate any and all efforts made to improve existing services for us, disabled people, but let us equally give credit to the foundations upon which these same services have been built, otherwise, to paraphrase the famous quotation attributed to the philosopher Georges Santayana: “Those who deny the past may be tempted to rewrite it.”

Joseph Camilleri, former chairman, Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b’Diżabilità – Rabat

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