Deaf association council resigns from federation

From: Malta Independent, Malta - May 24, 2003

Staff Reporter

A spokesman for the Deaf People's Association said that at its last committee meeting, it had decided to resign immediately from the Federation of Organisations for People with Disabilities.

A spokesman said this decision had been taken for the following reasons:

Nearly all the federation's current executive are members of families of disabled people or professionals. The association does not agree with this – in fact its statute stipulates that at least half its committee members must be disabled people (in this case, deaf people).

The association disagrees that a substantial part of the money the federation received from the Strina programme be used to provide the federation with its own premises which, it firmly believes, is not necessary.

The association considers undemocratic the federation's decision whereby organisations that do not attend a federation meeting are not given the minutes of that meeting nor informed of the agenda of the next meeting. This decision is even more undemocratic considering that the subject had not been included on the agenda. Moreover, this decision was never communicated to the associations who were given no opportunity to explain their position.

The spokesman reaffirmed that the Deaf People's Association will continue to work for deaf people and their families. It is committed to work with other organisations for disabled people which are truly representative and operate in a transparent and democratic manner.

©2003 Malta Independent