CRPD takes action against Gżira local council following reports of accessibility issues

Newly elected Nationalist councillor Mario Azzopardi, who is wheelchair-bound, had to miss out on his swearing in as the lift at the Gżira local council building was not working

Gzira Nationalist councillor Mario Azzopardi
Gzira Nationalist councillor Mario Azzopardi

The Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability has taken action with regards to the inaccessibility of the premises of the.

“The Commission requested the council to provide it with feedback indicating which actions have been taken to address this issue as well as requesting a plan of action, including a set of timeframes, which will indicate when and how remedial action will be implemented,” it said.

On Thursday, the PN condemned discrimination against councillor Mario Azzopardi, who had to miss out on a council meeting and his swearing in due to accessibility issues at the Gzira council building.

According to the PN councillors, the lift at the Gzira council building had stop working for a while, but no efforts were made to fix it.

The CRPD has since sent an official letter to the council requesting it provide it with feedback indicating which actions have been taken to address this issue as well as requesting a plan of action, including a set of timeframes, which will indicate when and how remedial action will be implemented.

“The Commission also requested that arrangements should be made so that the councillor can fully participate in the local council activities, including the local council meetings. A request was also made for an onsite visit by CRPD technical officers,” the commission statement read.

In light of the incident, the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability said that all Local Council premises and online platforms should be rendered accessible. “This ensures that persons with disability can both participate on a political level in their localities, but also access services provided by the Local Councils.”