Bank of Valletta, in collaboration with the Kummissjomi Nazzjonali Persuni b’Dizabilita (KNPD) organised a series of seminars for its staff members entitled ‘Disability Equality Training’

These training sessions were developed by KNPD to raise awareness about the barriers and negative attitudes faced by disabled people in their daily life These sessions were delivered by Gordon C Cardona, on behalf of KNPD together with two other speakers involved in the sector.

"Our awareness of the reality of the experience of disability is limited because we live in a society that often takes only into account non-disabled people. This may seem strange when one considers that disability can affect anyone at any point in their life," said Mr Cardona. "Our society is organised in such a way that still takes little account of disabled people -often believing that disabled people require special and segregated provision from the mainstream. Such an attitude tends to enforce stereotyping and promote social exclusion."

The sessions were aimed to demonstrate that the main causes of disability are rooted in the way society is organised and not in impairment, and to point out the disabling barriers and attitudes that give rise to disability and how these can be addressed. The sessions also helped to give a real picture of who disabled people are, and to encourage the individual to move away from stereotypes and finally to give practical guidance on how to assist and help disabled clients.