A period of public consultation has been launched for the Personal Assistance Scheme aimed to help increase independence amongst people with disabilities in Malta.

Through the public consultation, citizens are invited to submit their suggestions on the proposed framework by the end of next month.

“The personal assistant offers the necessary tools for a disabled person to live independently in their own home,” Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli stated. 

The reform, which would be managed by Aġenzija Sapport, would offer personal assistants to people with disabilities and increase autonomy over the choice of who will assist him/her/them.

To do this, the person with a disability will be given the resources to be able to choose the services as well as the assistant. This means that the assistant would be specifically trained according to the needs of the person with the impairment.

Chief Executive of Aġenzija Sapport Oliver Scicluna referred to this reform as crucial in the move towards the deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities, with the aim of enabling them to live independently in the community and fulfil their aspirations.

The proposed plan includes the complete collaboration of various social partners including the disabled persons themselves, key professionals and experts from the disability sector, and local and foreign civil organisations including the European Network on Independent Living.

“With what we are proposing, Malta will be one of the first countries that will be implementing the Personal Assistance service in accordance with the principle of the UNCRPD,” Farrugia Portelli said.

“We want to remove the barriers that parents face at that point when they become overwhelmed, which often leads to the concept that a parent with a disability must forcibly place their children in institutions. The personal assistant provides the necessary support for a person with a disability to continue living independently in their own home.”

The public consultation is open until 30th November, so if you have some valuable knowledge, be sure to share it.

The consultation can be accessed here.

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