AKEL on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Eurostat reveals Cyprus ranks third from bottom in social expenditure for persons with disabilities across EU states
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 3rd December 2020, Nicosia
On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, AKEL address an appeal to the government to at long last focus on improving the negative reality persons with disabilities in Cyprus are facing. Figures released by the European Statistical Office concerning expenditure on social policy and welfare reveal that Cyprus ranks third from the bottom in the table with regards the provision of benefits for persons with disabilities among EU countries.
The movement of persons with disabilities is quite rightly protesting that their cries of despair are not being heard, given that the government isn’t proceeding to take substantial measures in order to ensure their lives with dignity and without discriminations. The government is unfortunately refusing to take into account the dozens of negative comments that were addressed towards Cyprus with regards the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while the government isn’t proceeding to the elaboration of a separate legislation to provide support to persons with disabilities that it has been promising for seven years. We stress once again that their special needs cannot be met just by the Minimal Guaranteed Income and benefits. In particular during the period of the pandemic, persons with disabilities face increased dangers. As long as the government approaches the special needs of our persons with disabilities fellow human beings with sloppiness and in economic terms, they will be left on the sidelines.
As AKEL, we remain supporters of the movement of persons with disabilities and the disabled in general in the struggles they are waging every day for a life with dignity, for the safeguarding of their rights and the elimination of all discriminations.
