AKEL on Radio Marathon: Time for a change of approach, with the voices of people with disabilities at the centre of attention

 

29 October 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office. Nicosia

AKEL is once again raising the issue of the Radio Marathon this year, calling on the State to recognise that social policy for people with disabilities is the responsibility and obligation of the State and the government of the day, and cannot be replaced by private initiatives and voluntary work.

We call on the State to open a meaningful dialogue with the movement of disabled people regarding the future of the Radio Marathon. A dialogue free from prejudice and preconceived conclusions, aimed at examining how the institution can evolve to reflect contemporary understandings of disability and human rights. What is needed is not a society that remembers people with disabilities once a year, but a state that safeguards their rights every day.

The discussion cannot be limited each year to how much money will be raised or to acknowledging the contribution of volunteers and citizens. Social solidarity and voluntary work are important, but they cannot replace the state’s responsibility, nor should they be the sole way in which society perceives the rights of people with disabilities. It is the State’s obligation to provide the necessary resources, infrastructure and services so that every person with a disability can live with dignity, autonomy and equal opportunities.

Today, more than ever, it must be understood that people with disabilities are not objects of charity. They are equal citizens with rights, as indeed is set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the Republic of Cyprus has ratified and which is also reaffirmed by the institutional framework recently established by the State to promote the participation and inclusion of people with disabilities.

AKEL will continue to stand alongside people with disabilities, their families and organisations within the movement of disabled people, and will continue to support their demands for a truly accessible and inclusive society.