Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1487299
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 DECEMBER 2022 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Access to jobs for disabled 3RD December is the Internation- al Day of Persons with Disability. MFOPD takes this opportunity to raise its concern about two essential rights and the situation of persons with disability with regards here in Malta. The sole aim is to ask for im- provement. Among others, the Disability Hub Europe's report 'The 2030 Agenda, SDGs and Disability' states the fol- lowing about Goals 4 and 8: Goal 4 – Quality education: Education is essential for people to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to prosper and thrive in life, and is a ba- sic pillar for access to employment; Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth: Persons with disability face significant difficulties in entering the labour market due to discrimination, lack of access to training and insuffi- cient accessibility in the workplace, among other, resulting in higher rates of unemployment and econom- ic inactivity. These two gaols are intrinsic to a high-quality life of persons with dis- ability. Quoting from the European Pillar of Social Rights, "Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive ed- ucation, training and life-long learn- ing in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage success- fully in the open labour market". The real picture is that this right is not being exercised as should be by all persons with disability. We still have a situation where for example, persons with disability are being seg- regated and this by registering stu- dents with disability as full-time stu- dents in resource centres situated far away from schools; where students with disability finish their scholastic years not yet ready for life outside of school; where these students are not ready, maybe even very far away, from being able to access open em- ployment and this, among others, due to lack of skills: where life-long learning for these students does not exist and more such shortfalls. The European Pillar of Social Rights also states that, "People un- employed have the right to person- alised, continuous and consistent support. The long-term unemployed have the right to an in-depth indi- vidual assessment at the latest at 18 months of unemployment". MFOPD is not aware that this is happening with persons with disabil- ity. Evaluation of what is taking place with regards to the employment of persons with disability needs to be considered and action should to be taken to rectify this situation. Ac- cording to the Malta Country 2022 Report, "At 29.4 pps in 2020, the disability employment gap is above the EU average (24.5pps)". This is food for thought to our pol- icy makers. MFOPD urges all Minis- ters to ensure that their policy mak- ers "closely consult with and actively involve persons with disability and their representative organisations" in any decision-making processes. This is highlighted by the United Nation Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) which Malta signed and ratified. It must be noted that, to ensure that the Convention be made part and parcel of Maltese law, Malta even has the UNCRPD Act. Marthese Mugliette President, MFOPD