QUESTIONNAIRE MALTA Malta Flag

EBU Questionnaire Survey on the situation of blind and partially sighted people
across the 27 EU Member States

September 2007

 

Name: Irene Schembri

Organisation: Malta Society of the Blind

Country: Malta

e-mail address: socblindmalta@global.net.mt

Telephone number: +356 2125 1965


1/ Benefits


1.1. Does your country have any form of benefits system/ allowance for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer 

1.2. If yes, is this allowance sufficient or does it need to be increased ?
Answer Needs to be increased End answer 


2/ Transport / Mobility

 
2.1. Does your country provide blind and partially sighted people with any form of assistance for access to public transportation?
Answer No End answer 

2.2. If yes, in what form?

 2.2.1. Facilities allowing a better accessibility of public transport for blind and partially sighted people
Answer No End answer  

2.2.2. Financial aid:
Answer No End answer  

2.2.3. If yes, is this assistance available :
At reduced cost / Free of charge
Other (please explain) / Don’t know


2.3. Are there any measures facilitating the mobility of blind of partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer 

2.3.1 If yes, are they:

Financing of guide dogs
Tactile paving Answer Yes, very few End answer
Provision of auditory means of communication
Provision of auditory signals at crosswalks Answer Yes End answer
Other (Please explain)
Don’t know

2.4. Concerning accessibility / transport in general, what suggestions for improvement do you have?

 
Answer 1) Buses must stop at every Bus Stop
   2) Bus Drives need to call out the Identity of the Stop
   3) Bus Driver calls out Bus no. at Stop for waiting passengers End answer


3/ Employment


3.1. Are private companies under any obligation to recruit a certain number of disabled people?
Answer Yes End answer  


3.2. Are some jobs reserved in priority for:

3.2.1. Disabled people ?
Answer No End answer  

3.2.2. Blind or partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer  

3.3. Are there any targeted wage subsidies or bonus for employers who recruit blind and partially sighted people?
Bonus.
Targeted wage subsidies. Answer Yes, for a limited period of time End answer 
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.


3.4. Does your country have sheltered workshops or any other kind of structure employing only blind and partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer 

3.5. Are there any other incentives in your country to facilitate blind and partially sighted people’s employment?
Answer Yes (explanation) Training courses in IT End answer


3.6. What is the situation with regard to the employment of blind and partially sighted women:
Under-employment : Answer this applies to all women in Malta End answer
Discrimination in recruitment
Discrimination in wages
Don’t know

3.7. Concerning employment in general, what kind of suggestion for improvement do you have?
Answer Malta needs to introduce all the necessary measures to facilitate the employment and mobility of blind and partially sighted persons according to EU Standards End answer



4/ Education


4.1. Does your country have specialized schools for blind of partially sighted children?
Answer No End answer 

4.2. Is it possible for blind of partially sighted children to attend mainstream schools?
Answer Yes End answer 

4.2.1. If yes, are there any support services for blind and partially sighted children?

Provision of books in Braille
Provision of Braille writing devices Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices
Support by specially trained teachers Answer Yes End answer
Other (please explain)
Don’t know



4.3. Can blind or partially sighted students at university benefit from some form of financial aid to purchase an adapted computer?
Answer Yes But not directly from University  End answer

4.4. With regard to education in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?

Answer Suitable IT hardware and software for blind and partially sighted students End answer



5. REHABILITATION CENTRES FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE


5.1. Does your country have any rehabilitation centre for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer  


5.2. Concerning rehabilitation centres, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
Increase the number of centres
Improve existing centres
Increase the capacity of the centre
Improve the training of staff (auxiliary nursing staff,
special education teacher …)
Modernise the methods of rehabilitation to daily life
Modernise professional training
Other (please explain)
Answer Don’t know End answer 


5.3. Have you noted any progress in these areas?
Yes (please explain) / No Answer Don’t know End answer 


5.3.1. If no, did you notice a decline in the quality of the rehabilitation measures for blind and partially sighted people?
Yes / No / Don’t know.
 

 

6/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING


6.1. Does your country have a specialized vocational training centre for employed or unemployed blind and partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer 

6.2. Can blind or partially sighted employed or unemployed people attend mainstream vocational training centres?
Answer No End answer  

6.3. If yes, are there any support services for the blind and partially sighted?
Provision of books in Braille
Provision of Braille writing devices
Provision of adapted electronic devices
Support by specially trained teachers
Other (please explain)
Answer Don’t know End answer 

6.4. Have these measures been adopted since your country’s accession to the EU or did they exist before?
Old / New  Answer  Don’t know End answer

6.5. With regard to vocational training in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?


7. ACCESSIBILITY OF ICTs


7.1. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for blind people of all age categories:
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer At school students are provided with a computer set and necessary software. At University students are expected to provide their own pc but the necessary software and support is available. At work pc hardware and software are provided by the employer. At home blind people are given the necessary support by FITA Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility sub agency of the National Commission Persons with Disability and co-ordinates all ICT accessibility for disabled people in the Maltese Islands. End answer


7.2. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for partially sighted people of all age categories ?
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer Similar to what is stated in 7.1 End answer




8/ E-GOVERNMENT

 

8.1. How do you evaluate the accessibility of public websites (E-government; documents, forum, services, interactive pages, etc.)
Answer Very good.  End answer
Good.
Medium.
Bad.
Very bad.
(Please explain): Answer  Malta is very advanced in its e-Government policy. End answer


8.2. Is your government doing anything to make E-government websites accessible to blind and partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer
(Please explain): Answer However there is still no software for the reading of Maltese texts. End answer




9/ EU INFLUENCE


9. Do you think that the EU has had a positive influence on the situation of blind and partially sighted people in your country ?
Answer Yes End answer
(Please explain): Answer Blind and partially sighted people in Malta feel that they can seek better support when necessary. End answer

 


10/ Finally, do you have any expectation with regard to your country’s belonging to the EU?


10. Do you have expectations with regard to:
Employment. Answer Yes End answer
Education. Answer Yes End answer
Vocational training. Answer Yes End answer
Rehabilitation centres. Answer Yes End answer
Transport / mobility. Answer Yes End answer
Accessibility of buildings and traffic lanes. Answer Yes End answer
Access to information (accessibility of ICTs) Answer Yes End answer
Financial support. Answer Yes End answer
Gender equality.  Answer Yes End answer
Other (please explain)

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