With a €4,200 pension, no wonder the disabled are a charity case

Abysmally low pensions for the disabled - running at 55% of the national minimum wage of €8,443 - and a lack of access to equal employment opportunities, are forever cementing the fates of Malta's 27,500 people with a disability as "charity cases".

It is a label which is hindering persons with a disability from contributing to society, says the chief executive of Inspire foundation, Nathan Farrugia. But crucially, the lack of equitable pensions, equal opportunities and education is undermining the true potential. "This is a shame and we really must do something about. Funding should be seen as empowering, not a 'relief'."

The 2011 census puts the number of disabled at 4,500 for those with an intellectual disability, 6,000 suffering from poor mental health, while 17,000 are burdened with physical challenges, including those with lack of sight and hearing. Despite the Employment Act's requirement that 2% of all gainfully employed should be disable persons in full-time employment, only 1,000 above the age of 30 are actually in employment.

As relatives point out, an insurmountable brick wall is hindering disabled people's advancement to tertiary education. And over the last four years, a government effort saw 64 persons given job experience through the Me2 projects, and another 80 employed with local councils through the Employment and Training Corporation.

But Farrugia, whose Inspire foundation provides a wide range of early intervention services for disabled children, wants to see more of these services and resources directly injected in schooling activities at an early age.

"Perhaps as a result [of limited resources], there is a very real lack of support to youngsters with a learning or intellectual disability, who leave secondary school," adding that post-secondary institutions like MCAST are an opportunity only for a limited few who have the skills and potential to find the courses useful, later in life.

But not everyone needs technical training. "They would rather benefit from independent living practice, self care, lifeskills, communication skills and social activities," Farrugia says.

"Being part of society is not all about work: while many do have the potential for employment, others require specific training to ensure they are as independent as possible, to be useful at home and more participative in the community.

"Understandably, employers are cautious of the unknown, and the support provided by NGOs, social enterprises and the ETC often fall short of finding long-term employment because the financial incentives are not enough to entice companies to recruit."

But a stumbling block remains the disability pension that is lost once a disabled person finds employment.

"There is a barrier to motivation to work, that is inbuilt within the system," Farrugia says. "The pension should not be lost until a fairer 'income ceiling' is reached."

Budget 2013 last Wednesday came as no surprise to those involved in the voluntary sector, with the dismal €4,200 annual pension for disabled pensions staying as it is.

But while Farrugia welcomes assistance in the form of funding for specialist equipment for disabled students in tertiary education, he is adamant that it's society's attitude that remains the largest obstacle.

"Persons with a physical disability should face no barriers whatsoever to employment, given their own intellectual ability to work and a positive attitude towards work. Advancement in technology is also meant to reduce barriers faced by disabled persons."

But the concerns for the disabled and their parents are not just limited to the here-and-now. The future holds unanswered questions for parents who fear they could be unable to care for their children as they age - finding themselves to be 'disabled' as wheelchair users, perhaps.

"It is critical that elderly parents of people who cannot care for themselves, find a solution as soon as possible," Farrugia says. "Institutional care may be good for some, but social inclusion through community supported living is a far better way to live."

Social inclusion strengthens society at large, but as Farrugia notes, institutional care is cheaper even though not necessarily the best.

His thoughts are an opener on Labour's proposal for a private-public partnership model of homes for the disabled, funded by tax-exempt trust funds and tax-exempt inheritance.

But Farrugia says the proposal does not come without questions: the trust funds are after all, funded by the parents themselves. What about those who don't have cash but property, and what happens to a shared property when the owner passes away, or when the child eventually passes away?

"Who will provide the special care required and at what cost? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that financial planning is carried out, and who shares the burden when it isn't? Are we asking individuals how they would like to live in the first place?

"There are many questions that need answering but there is no centralised effort to take action from what we can see. Parents, ultimately, need to drive this issue forward and make it a national priority."