The number of complaints lodged with the commission for disability increased by two-thirds in 2019, with most requests relating to misuse or abuse of a blue badge.
According to its annual report, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) received 629 requests for investigations, up from 382 in 2018.
A total of 229 – an increase of 101% over 2018 – were related to blue badge misuse, while another 174 – up from 125 – were about accessibility.
A substantial increase was also recorded in complaints about education issues: these increased by 108% from 51 in 2018 to 106 in 2019. The only drops in complaints were related to health and rights issues.
One of the complaints was from a parent whose son, diagnosed with ADHD, was suspended from school because of his challenging behaviour.
While the parent believed that the school was not adequately supporting the boy’s needs, claiming that his behaviour was triggered by lack of understanding, the head of school said that the student’s ADHD was just one aspect of the whole situation.
CRPD called for a case conference: after the stakeholders shared their views on the strengths and weaknesses of the student, a plan was drawn up to support the student and he could continue his studies.
In another instance, the mother of a child with a mobility impairment who lives in a social housing apartment received a letter from the Housing Authority saying that the grab rails for her son were obstructing the entrance of the apartment block.
It transpired that the rails had been installed with the Housing Authority’s blessing to help the child with his mobility because of a flight of steps at the entrance. The mother had even applied for the rails through the authority’s Care and Repair Scheme.
The case was closed after the authority acknowledged that the rails had been installed as agreed and certified by its engineer.
According to its annual report, there are 18,848 people with a disability registered with the CRPD, which last year set up an enforcement unit.