MFOPD Calls for Action on Disability Rights in Malta

The Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD) issued a post-election statement urging the incoming government to translate political promises on disability rights into measurable action. The federation warned that persons with disabilities in Malta encounter ongoing obstacles in education, employment, independent living, and access to essential services. MFOPD President Marthese Mugliette delivered the federation's position: "For too long, persons with disabilities have been promised inclusion and equality, and participation." The federation warned that the sector is experiencing not only stagnation but, in some areas, regression. Persons with disabilities are too often excluded from decisions that shape their lives, MFOPD stated, adding that this conflicts with Malta's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The federation invoked the principle "Nothing About Us Without Us", describing it as a legal and moral obligation, and called on the government to systematically involve persons with disabilities in all decision-making processes that affect them.

MFOPD set out four demands: inclusive education properly resourced; employment barriers removed and replaced with accessible, supported, and sustainable opportunities; services designed around dignity, autonomy, and choice; and accessibility treated as a fundamental right rather than an afterthought. The federation also called on the government to align its policies and legislation with the UNCRPD and to introduce clear accountability mechanisms to ensure implementation.

The federation said it remains ready to engage constructively with the government, but that progress must be measured through real change rather than intentions. "Rights delayed are rights denied," the statement concluded.