The Malta Federation Of Organisations Persons With Disability have released a statement stating that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) emphasizes the importance of inclusion and equality in services for persons with disabilities.

Article 19 of the convention outlines their right to live independently and be fully included in the community. This means that services, such as education and healthcare, should be provided in an inclusive way, ensuring participation without segregation.

To achieve this, services must be accessible and delivered in mainstream settings, allowing persons with disabilities to have equal opportunities alongside others.

This shift requires moving away from segregated models of care and education toward integrated environments where accommodations are made to meet diverse needs.

Key elements include:

• Accessibility: Ensuring full access to education, healthcare, and public spaces, including physical access, communication, and services.
• Policy Implementation: Ensuring inclusive policies are fully enacted with adequate resources, teacher training, and accountability measures.
• Changing Societal Attitudes: Overcoming stereotypes and biases that can hinder inclusion and lead to unintended segregation.

The practice of education streaming, where students with disabilities are placed in separate programs based on perceived ability, can hinder social integration and limit development. In contrast, inclusive education aligns with the UNCRPD’s vision of equality, non-discrimination, and participation, offering a more integrated approach for all students to learn together with necessary support.

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Hurricane Milton has made landfall in Florida, causing widespread devastation and prompting authorities to urge residents to evacuate the state as quickly as possible.

U.S. President Joe Biden has referred to the hurricane as the “storm of the century,” underscoring the severity of the situation.

Reports indicate that over 3 million homes and businesses have been left without power across the state, while confirmed fatalities are emerging from multiple cities and regions.

The hurricane’s destruction has caused significant disruption to essential services, with entire communities facing life-threatening challenges.

In St. Petersburg, residents are now without access to clean drinking water after officials were forced to shut down the water system due to extensive hurricane damage.

Authorities have advised all residents to boil any water used for drinking, cooking, or brushing their teeth, as the water supply is now compromised.

To add to the dire situation, emergency services in many cities and towns have warned that it is too dangerous for them to respond to calls for help.

The combination of power outages, impassable roads, and ongoing storm conditions has left many communities isolated, with authorities urging people to take every precaution to stay safe until it is possible to offer assistance.

The impact of Hurricane Milton is proving to be catastrophic, with recovery efforts expected to be extensive and challenging in the days and weeks to come.