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Thank you for inviting me to address this year's General Assembly of the Cyprus Confederation of Disabled People's Organisations, for the first time since I took office.
I would like to congratulate the CYSOA, the friendly President Mr. Christakis Nicolaides, all members of the Central Board of Directors and all members of the organizations of KYSOA, for the work that your Confederation performs as the institutionalized social partner of the state on disability issues, as well as for all your efforts and your long-standing struggles to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, aiming at their full and equal participation in all areas of social, economic, cultural and cultural life of the country.
People with disabilities are an important part of Cypriot society. It is primarily the obligation of the state, but also of all social actors to support and empower people with disabilities to remain active and integrated cells of society.
Your coordinating role in this effort is catalytic. Your experiences and experiences, your opinions and suggestions are a valuable advisor in developing knowledge and the most appropriate actions to support and empower people with disabilities.
As the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, our vision is to protect the rights of these people as equal members of society and to improve their quality of life through reforms and additional actions within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Our vision is to protect the rights of these people as equal members of society and to improve their quality of life through reforms and additional actions within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In order to comprehensively address the issues they face, satisfy their rights and implement the obligations of the state, triennial National Action Plans for Disability are being implemented within the framework of the first National Disability Strategy for the decade 2018-2028.
Currently, we are implementing the Third National Action Plan for Disability 2021-2023, which includes 135 actions (58 new actions and 77 ongoing actions), to be implemented by 8 Ministries and 3 Deputy Ministries.
We are currently implementing the Third National Action Plan for Disability 2021-2023, which includes 135 actions (58 new actions and 77 ongoing actions), to be implemented by 8 Ministries and 3 Deputy Ministries. Our aim in the actions we promote is always to keep up with current trends and practices in the approach to disability, taking into account the demands of the citizens directly concerned, but also within the limits of the capacities and resources of the state.
I mention examples that stand out among the new actions implemented or expected to be implemented by the Ministry of Social Welfare during the current three years. [*]The expansion of the operation of the first Family Intervention and Support Centre for Children with Autism, co-financed by the European Social Fund, at a cost of €5 million. [*]Upgrading the quality, speed and responsiveness of the Disability Assessment System to citizens' applications for social benefits and services. [*]The implementation of a new project for a "New Network of Social Inclusion Services for Persons with Disabilities" with the involvement of the KISOA and organisations of persons with disabilities, co-financed by the European Social Fund, at a cost of €30 million, with the primary objective of implementing the new services of Personal Assistant and Counsellor for persons with disabilities. [*]The consultation and formulation of a new legislation on independent living services and benefits for people with disabilities, in parallel with the implementation of the project on the New Social Inclusion Services Network. [*]To provide incentives and support for the creation of social enterprises by people with disabilities, through the development and implementation of advisory and vocational training tools in entrepreneurship. [*]The completion of the consultation and legislative drafting of the new bill to support persons with disabilities in their decision making. [*]The implementation of the new pilot project "Provision of Decision Support Counselling Services for Persons with Disabilities" has already been assigned to your Confederation for implementation, in cooperation with the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (DPSD). In this context, the CYSOA has already recruited and trained three Decision Support Counsellors who provide free services to at least thirty adults with disabilities to support their decision making in the areas of their daily life. For example, managing their daily schedule, communication, education, living, employment, health, recreation, social activities and more. The results of the project will feed into the preparation of the new decision support bill. The Programme is funded by a grant of €50,000 per annum from the TCEAA, in addition to the annual grant of €100,000 provided to cover all of the operating costs of the CPSOA. [*]The increase of the maximum annual grant amount per organisation under the de minimis State aid scheme for the provision of grants to organisations of persons with disabilities from €10,000 to €15,000. [/LIST]
Important importance is given in the governance programme to the modernisation of the legislative framework governing the rights of persons with disabilities and we aim to achieve this, as a priority, by completing very soon the draft law transposing the European Directive on Accessibility of Products and Services into our national law, and then by amending existing laws, such as the Law on Persons with Disabilities and the Law on Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, as well as completing new bills such as those I have already mentioned to support the decision-making of persons with disabilities and their independent living.
In particular, I would like to highlight and welcome the excellent cooperation and successful consultation between the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and the CPSOA, which resulted in a consensus on how to implement the new Personal Assistant and Counselor services and the implementation of the project "New Network of Social Inclusion Services for Persons with Disabilities", which, with the forthcoming approval of all competent authorities, will start to be implemented within the year, adding value to the services to which people with disabilities will have access in order to support their independent living.
Above all, of course, there is a need to improve perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards people's diversity, as well as to improve the level of respect in Cypriot society for the rights of people with disabilities. In this area, government agencies, organizations, private sector entities, each individual citizen, have their own role in fostering a good culture of approach to disability.
We look forward to continuing our cooperation to build together additional reforms and innovations to improve the quality of life of citizens with disabilities.
We look forward to continuing our cooperation to build together additional reforms and innovations to improve the quality of life of citizens with disabilities. We have common new goals and the achievement of these goals is facilitated and accelerated when the disability movement demands, but also when it assists government agencies to deliver even more together.
The State will continue to stand by your side, assisting and supporting your efforts.
In closing, I would like to congratulate you once again for your valuable contribution.
Thank you.
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