Now Completely Blind, Samuel Farrugia Tells Maltese Parliament How He Copes With Life
A group of Maltese citizens with disabilities attended a special sitting of Parliament to talk about the different ways they individually cope with everyday life.
Among them was a Samuel Farrugia, the 12-year-old boy who inspired the country with his determination and fortitude as he slowly lost his eyesight.
It was reported that Samuel explained that now that he had lost all eyesight, he had to “learn about everything around him” all over again.
Chairman of the Commission for the Rights of the Disabled, Oliver Scicluna, also spoke about the issues these Maltese citizens faced, such as a lack of physical accessibility to certain places as well as a lack of enforcement in regards to disabled parking spaces, which were often occupied by other drivers.
He also appealed for people with disabilities to be given the right to vote in secret without having to disclose their voting preferences.
Gilmour Borg, an active youth with autism who is also a Youth Leader Ambassador for the Special Olympics explained how he and other Special Olympics athletes still felt discriminated against, and called for more inclusion in society.
The needs of the Maltese LGBTIQ people with disabilities were also discussed, with Dr. Claire Azzopardi saying that the current health service offered in Malta was not able to meet their needs.
A number of other issues were raised during the discussion, including the mental health problems that a number of immigrants were dealing with, including Syrian children, as well as employment problems faced by Maltese people with mental health problems.
Opposition leader Adrian Delia said it is important that society recognises the abilities of disabled people, since each person possesses intrinsic values. He also pledged the PN’s support for any drive that supported the disabled sector.
Acting Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne closed the session off by saying that society was working towards a time when everyone would have the opportunity to show their individual skills, and that they would find the right environment for their skills to be used to the fullest of their abilities.
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