| Address: Commission for the Rights of People with Disability, G5, Psaila Street, Birkirkara, Malta Telephone: +356 2226 7600 SMS (Hearing Impaired & Deaf): +356 79788555 Planning Authority queries only: +356 22267687 | Address: Commission for the Rights of People with Disability Helpdesk, Sannat Primary School, Sannat Road, Sannat, Gozo. Telephone: +356 21556002 |
| Opening Hours: Mon: 08:15am – 12:00pm & 13:30pm – 17:00pm Tue: 08:15am – 12:00pm Wed: 08:15am – 12:00pm Thu: 08:15am – 12:00pm Fri: 08:15am – 12:00pm | |
The Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) is committed to rendering Maltese society an inclusive one, in a way that persons with disability reach their full potential in all aspects of life, enjoying a high quality of life thanks to equal opportunities.
In fulfilling this mission, CRPD works in order to eliminate any form of direct or indirect social discrimination against persons with disability and their families, while providing them with the necessary assistance and support.
In addition, CRPD’s first ever strategy identifies five strategic priorities which reflect the main areas which CRPD will be focusing on from the year 2022 to 2024.
These are:
Priority 1 – Protecting, promoting, and monitoring the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Priority 2 – Raising awareness on disability rights and obligations.
Priority 3 – Grassroots empowerment and strengthening the voice of persons with disability.
Priority 4 – Community-based independent living and deinstitutionalisation.
Priority 5 – Capacity building.
Investigations Unit
CRPD is responsible to ensure that the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act is observed in a reasonable manner. To this end, CRPD receives complaints from persons with disability and their family members who feel that they are being discriminated against on the grounds of disability.
Furthermore, CRPD is legally empowered to commence investigations into a case on its own initiative. These investigations are carried out by the Investigations Unit, the unit specialised in receiving and investigating disability discrimination complaints.
Whenever it launches an investigation, this Unit tries to reach a speedy and amicable solution for the benefit of the person with disability as, in most cases, discrimination is the result of a lack of awareness of disabled people’s rights. However, the Unit does not shy away from taking matters further should the need arise and, if necessary, it also pursues the matter before the Courts of Justice.
Complaints are filed across a number of areas, ranging from education to employment, from housing to accessibility, from goods and services to insurance and from rights to health.
Apart from investigating the complaints filed with its investigations team, the Commission can also provide guidance and advice to persons who request it.
Contact the investigation team on investigations@crpd.org.mt.
Compliance Unit
The Compliance Unit is responsible for monitoring, auditing, giving advice and certifying applications that are made for the development of buildings which are open to the public. The Unit works with architects and developers to ensure that the plans which are eventually approved are accessible for disabled people.
The unit’s role is primarily that of receiving planning applications from the Planning Authority for its consideration on whether they are compliant with the Access for All Design Standards. Where the plans are not compliant, the technical experts in the Unit prepare an audit report which shows the amendments which need to be made in order for the development to be approved.
In the case of new buildings, the applicant is required to obtain a certificate from CRPD stating that the plans are compliant with the Access for All Design Guidelines, before the Planning Authority issues a compliance certificate to allow for water and electricity to be connected to the development.
The Unit offers a consultation service where a CRPD technical expert provides technical advice regarding physical accessibility to those who were in the process of submitting development applications. This service is available through online meetings or at CRPD offices by appointment. Appointments are to be made in advance by writing an email to accessibility.vetting@crpd.org.mt.
In cases where the building cannot be rendered accessible to all or be fully accessible to all according to the Access for All Design Standards, the applicant may appear before the Test of Reasonableness Board (TORB). This is a board that considers exemptions for technical and financial reasons. This board meets once a month to hear cases.
DET training
As part of its drive to challenge disability stereotypes, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) provides disability equality sessions to private and public organisations.
The sessions, which are held on an ongoing basis, are delivered by persons with disability who have lived experience of the reality of disability.
They are based around the social model of disability, which states that persons with a disability are more disabled by the society in which we live in – which fails to cater for different needs – than by the impairment itself.
Deriving from this model, the training focuses on etiquette, appropriate language and behaviour when interacting with persons with disability. It also provides opportunity for discussion and insights into the lives of persons with disability.
For further information about this training, kindly contact us on DET@crpd.org.mt
