Public awareness of the needs and problems of the handicapped and their families

Abstract

It seems that society's general idea of a handicapped person does not go beyond 'those poor things' at Dar tal-Providenza and that donations are all they need. This image does not do justice to the hundreds of disabled persons in Malta who wish to be part of the same society which through conscious and unconscious 'walls' has set them apart. The purpose behind the dissertation is for the reader to become more aware of the real problems persons with special needs and their families face. Perhaps through this contribution the reader might realise that his or her attitude towards the disabled constitutes one of the many invisible barriers that are keeping the disabled from becoming active members of society. The dissertation is made up as follows: Chapter one is an introduction to the subject. Here public attitudes in general and how they effect the disabled will be tackled. Chapter two addresses the issue of environmental barriers and how these hinder disabled persons and their families from participating in the community. Moreover, this chapter speaks briefly of issues such as marriage and the values assigned to the lives of disabled persons. [...]