The Cyprus Confederation of Organizations of People with Disabilities (CUPOA) has called on the state to urgently ensure real, rather than formal rights for all people with disabilities.
At a press conference on Monday, November 24, the organization's president, Themis Anfopoulou, noted that while the government has shown a willingness to push forward with long-needed legislation, the planned amount of funding - €45 million over a three-year period until 2028 - is completely insufficient and does not reflect the scale of real needs.
According to Anfopoulou, for the first time a detailed assessment of the necessary costs was carried out, and it turned out that about 600 million euros are required to fully cover the needs. This is an amount on top of the already existing budget of the Ministry of Social Protection, which amounts to 120 million euros per year. As a result, the total required funding reaches approximately 720 million euros - an amount that exceeds the department's current annual budget by 80 million.
The head of KUSOA emphasized that the problem cannot be reduced to the payment of benefits, since this model of support has turned people with disabilities into “citizens of different speeds,” depriving many of full access to services and equal rights. In addition, the current system ranks Cyprus as one of the countries with the lowest levels of government support for people with disabilities in Europe. Of the 15 thousand existing benefit recipients, only a third are registered with the Department of Social Inclusion, while the rest are forced to prove economic vulnerability in order to receive assistance.
Speaking about the bill, which KUSOA says has been delayed for years, Anfopoulou noted that it covers key areas of life: access to treatment and rehabilitation, inclusive education, vocational training, labor market integration, social employment, affordable housing and modern assistive technology. One of the most important elements of the document is the creation of a network of eight specialized services, including personal assistants, social escorts, supported living specialists, psychologists, instructors, Cypriot Sign Language interpreters and other professionals necessary for a full independent life.
She noted that the beginning of the formation of a comprehensive system of services for independent living is the most important step forward. However, all this will remain only good intentions if the state does not provide real, sufficient and long-term funding. According to her, people with disabilities in Cyprus have faced discrimination and limited access to resources for too long, and now the time has come to eliminate these systemic imbalances, providing them with conditions that meet European standards and the republic’s international obligations.
The organization is ready to continue cooperation with the government, but insists that the law must be backed by real budgets that can cover the real needs of tens of thousands of people.
Source: alphanews.live
