‘Light It Up Blue’ is a global campaign that sees thousands of iconic landmarks, cities and towns around the world turn blue on April 2 to recognise World Autism Awareness Day. The campaign highlights the pressing need for greater public education and awareness of autism in our community.
Gibraltar is joining many other countries around the world in the illumination of an iconic building in blue. The Government has decided to light up the Gibraltar Parliament.
The blue lights will be switched on at 8.00pm on Wednesday 2nd April and will remain switched on until Sunday.
The Gibraltar Disability Society will sending two representatives, Mrs Nicole Byrne and Mr Maurice Valarino, to the Project SEARCH 2014 Europe Conference to be held in Glasgow in June. As part of the Society’s initiative to move forward and create much needed employment opportunities for persons with disabilities we have also issued invitations to Miss Samantha Sacramento Minister for Social Services, Mr John Cortez Minister for Health, Mrs Isobel Ellul Hammond Shadow spokesperson for Social Services and Health and Mrs Antonia Savignon-Balestrino from the Autism Support Group. The Society has offered to sponsor those we have invited to attend alongside our own representatives and we hope, as well as attending the conference, we will be able to organise a visit to a working Project SEARCH programme. By attending this conference we are following on from the visit to Gibraltar, sponsored by the Society, in October last year of Miss Erin Riehle, Founder and Senior Director and Mrs Anne O’Bryan, Program Consultant and UK Lead both from Project SEARCH. It was during this visit that Miss Riehle, Mrs O’Bryan and Nicole Byrne met with the Ministers for Health, Education and Social Services give them the opportunity to hear firsthand how such a project could benefit Gibraltar’s disabled young persons. Since its inception in 1996 Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site to over 200 sites across the United States and Canada, England, Scotland, and Australia. Further updates to regarding the Conference visit will be made over the coming weeks.
The Gibraltar Disability Society wish to congratulate the Equality Right Group Gibraltar after Parliament today passed the Civil Partnership Bill. Felix Alvarez, founder and Chairman of the ERG, stated today that it has taken 14 years of campaigning to bring about this legislation and thanked the Government for delivering on their electoral promise. Unfortunately for disabled members of our community, after over 30 years of campaigning by the Disability Society, there is still no legislation to protect their rights. This is despite a promise by the present government to introduce legislation based on the terms of the UN convention within their first year in government.
We have received the following information from GHITA:
We have been informed by the Gibraltar Health Authority that as from Thursday 6th March 2014, persons who have been clinically diagnosed as profoundly deaf and are registered with the department of Audiology can avail themselves, if they so desire, of the GHA text (SMS) service when booking an appointment. The telephone number to send messages is 58008464.
Persons are required to register at the Registration Office in the Primary Care Centre at their earliest convenience.
The committee would like thank all those who volunteered their help on flag day. Thanks also to all those who kindly donated and helped raise a grand total of £1,462.76.
A designated area will be made available at the Piazza in which chairs will be provided for
the elderly. The area is also available for wheelchair users and persons with a physical
disability supported with the blue badge scheme.
Access to the area will be on a ‘first come first served’ basis. People who wish to make
use of this area can be accompanied by one other person and will need to produce their
blue badge on the day.
The Disability Society would like to thank Anne Balestrino for representing the Society and it’s members at the Dr Giraldi Hearings. She did so in a caring, understanding and professional manner.
Below is a excerpt from the final submission by Anne at the close of the hearings.
Anne Balestrino, the lawyer representing the Disability Society, told the Inquiry that the issues at stake went further than whether the service provided to residents of the Dr Giraldi Home was appropriate or not.
“What the Society is saying is that it goes beyond the fact that there was lack of training or lack of staff numbers, unsuitable bathrooms, it goes beyond that, in the sense that the institutionalised model of the Home was inappropriate,” she said.
Mrs Balestrino said that while some family members of residents were happy with the service, others were not.
What was needed was an individualised approach to the provision of care, one that met the specific, evolving needs of each resident.
“So in effect you are saying that there is evidence of a lack of flexibility, are you?” Sir Jonathan asked.
“Yes, sir, and in fact it shows that there is lack of individualism, that it’s more of a one package fits all, so to speak, rather than catering for the resident as an individual, and also meeting his needs as an individual, rather than under the same umbrella for everyone.”
Mrs Balestrino said the fact that the Dr Giraldi Home had changed from three to five flats showed that the facility was in need of constant change depending on demand, not least because many disabled people lived with families who may be unable to care for them in the future.
“As family members they want to ensure that their children are well looked after,” Mrs Balestrino said.
“This is not the emotive parents wanting unrealistic expectations. These are obviously people who have experience with dealing with disabled persons, they have been dealing with it all their lives.”
They are “…people who are well versed in the research, in the developments, they have undertaken training themselves.”
“So they are very much hoping to work in partnership with the Government in securing, should I say, their Santa’s letter, their wishes.”
“Hopefully this would be something that at least in the report would come through.”
Today, 3rd December, is International Day of People with Disabilities. This is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disabilities and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being. There have been many improvements over the years within Gibraltar for those with disabilities, many of which have been fought hard for, but there is still long way to go. The Gibraltar Disability Society has always placed anti-discriminatory legislation at the top of its agenda, therefore we would like use this day to call for Government to urgently honour their manifesto commitment “to legislate to further protect disabled people within their first year in Government using the terms of the UN Convention as a model”.
Gibraltar Disability Society Bingo at the Gala Casino
Wednesday 13th November bingo starts 9.30pm
Tickets £12 for 10 games
Please note: tickets have no seat numbers so arrive early to get your table
1st Game is a two line game prize of Buffet for two at the Casino
2nd-9th Game prizes £10 for the first line and £50 for the house
10th Game prizes £20 for the first line and £1,000 for the house
Tickets available from Angela on 57178000 or 20075210
Raffle tickets to be sold on the night for a draw before the last game
Please support as all proceeds go to the Disability Society
The Gibraltar Disability Society is proud to have sponsored the visit to Gibraltar of Ms Erin Riehle, Founder and Senior Director and Mrs Anne O’Bryan, UK Lead/European Programme Specialist both from Project SEARCH. The main purpose of their visit, arranged by Nicole Byrne, was to meet with Education Minister Gilbert Licudi, Health Minister John Cortes and Social Affairs Minister Samantha Sacramento. Since its inception in 1996 Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site to over 200 sites across the United States and Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland Australia and Main Land Europe. The Disability Society wanted the Ministers to have the opportunity to hear firsthand how Project SEARCH could improve the choices young people with disabilities have to be able to lead productive lives within the community. Nicole Byrne also hopes to travel to Glasgow to learn more about the opportunities created by Project SEARCH in Scotland. We wish to thank the Ministers for finding the time to meet with Nicole, Erin and Anne.
Project SEARCH was first developed in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to support people with learning disabilities into work and has a very clear goal – to give young people with learning disabilities the skills to gain competitive paid employment. The program provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills to help youths with disabilities make successful transitions from school to productive adult life. The Project SEARCH model involves an extensive period of training and career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continuous feedback from teachers, job coaches, and employers. As a result, at the completion of the training program, students with intellectual disabilities are employed in non-traditional, complex and rewarding jobs. The presence of a Project SEARCH High School Transition Program can bring about long-term changes in business culture that have far-reaching positive effects on attitudes about hiring people with disabilities and the range of jobs in which they can be successful.