Some 70 per cent of all planning applications sent to the Commission for Rights of Persons with a Disability (CRPD) for vetting did not meet the necessary accessibility standards, Commissioner Samantha Pace Gasan said in a press conference on Wednesday. 

Pace Gasan was presenting the CRPD’s annual report, which highlighted the work undertaken by the commission throughout the past year. 

Just 15% of applications approved

Of the 4,030 applications send to the authority for accessibility vetting, 2,819 were not approved while a further 600 did not fall under the parameters under which the Commission carries out vetting.

Only 611 planning applications were approved by the CRPD - the equivalent of 15 per cent. 

Noting that standards for accessibility in the built environment had been around for some 20 years, Pace Gasan urged stakeholders in the construction industry to be mindful of these standards and make an effort to incorporate them in the design phase of planned projects.

The commission carried out 307 building site inspections to ensure conformity and 117 inspections investigating accessibility claims last year. 

Exempt cases due to reasonable grounds

Around 90 cases of accessibility cases were also adjudicated through the Test of Reasonableness Board, which determines whether an applicant should be exempt from making accessibility changes because doing so is not technically possible or would cost an excessive amount. 

Of these, 35 cases were exempt completely, 4 were partially exempt, 19 conditionally exempt, 11 were asked for more information or withdrew their case, while 21 were dismissed after being found unreasonable. 

Pace Gasan said that while the board had so far adjudicated cases focused on physical accessibility, changes to the law would see it expanding to adjudicate accessibility in other areas such as education and employment. 

Fewer applications for disability blue badges

Overall the CRPD had seen a decline in the number of applications for European disability cards as well as blue badges issued locally.

As of December, some 19,705 people had registered a disability with the commission, with 15,268 suffering a physical disability, 3,438 an intellectual disability, 2,507 a psychological disability, 1,569 who reported being hard of hearing and 1,571 with a disability related to sight. A number of individuals fell into more than one of these categories. 

Throughout 2020, the commission issued 2,171 blue badges and renewed 1,000. Some 3,134 EU disability cards were also issued, with 1,168 renewed. 

Due to the fact that medical assessments for the issuance of blue badges was temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, these were being issued provisionally for the period of one year.

A total of 2,759 blue badges were issued to people and delivered to their homes. Blue badges are now being revised on a case by case basis as soon as they expire. 

Reports of discrimination down

The investigations unit within the CRPD saw a decline of 24 per cent in reports, receiving a total of 475 reports throughout the year. 

The unit, which deals with reports of discrimination on the basis of disability, saw 230 cases related to use of the blue badge, while 88 were related to accessibility. Some 39 were related to education, 39 about goods and services, 42 to employment, 24 about housing, 8 with health and five were allegations of a breach of rights. 

Reports about employment rose by 75 per cent, Pace Gasan said, while those related to education decreased dramatically by 63 per cent when compared to the previous year. 

The commission’s enforcement unit grew by two people in 2020, which saw it collecting 2,159 expired blue badges and further prevent abusive use of the system. 

Social Wellbeing Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli added that the pandemic had highlighted how now more than ever, people with disabilities needed a robust framework to protect and defend their rights, which she said the CRPD had more than risen to the occasion for. 

She added that the ministry would next year be working with the commission to launch an awareness campaign on the challenges faced by people with disabilities to increase awareness and empathy is society at large. 

The CRPD’s annual report can be viewed online at www.crpd.org.mt or downloaded from the PDF link below.