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LAND - LIVING ABILITY NOT DISABILITY

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Category:	Other
Created:	Mar 15, 2007
Type:	Moderated
Members:	152
Owner:	Jeanesse Abela
Language:	English
Country:	Malta

LAND IS FUN !!!!! Come, join and see for yourself !

The name of the organisation is Living Ability Not Disability abbreviated to LAND

AIMS:

The aims of the organisation shall include but not be limited to:

(a) organisation of activities of an educational and social nature with the aim to exploit the ability and self-advocacy of its disabled members, thereby promoting inclusion and equal opportunities;

(b) participation in meetings, conferences, seminars and related activities on issues affecting disability, on a local, European and international scale;

(c) provision of moral and other support to members and their families, particularly through friendship;

(d) provision of support in means of assistance and necessary transport for activities organised by the organisation itself;

(e) to allow members the opportunity to mingle socially with other youth.

LAND [living ability not disability] was founded by Ms. Jeanesse Abela, a disabled youth and Ms. Michelle Farrugia in August 2002. The aims are to promote inclusion, education, independence and socialize youths with physical disabilities into mainstream society. Initially this organization was set up as a sub-committee of the National Parents for Disabled Persons organization, but since 5th July 2005 LAND embarked into an independent non-profit organization with its own statute and officially recognized by the National Commission Persons with Disability.

Due to lack of personal assistance, mobility and accessibility barriers, physically disabled youths were impaired from living and enjoying a healthy social life one takes for granted. Therefore, LAND has filled a void in our society in this regard with the valuable aid of a few volunteers that have joined LAND from all walks of life.

In order to keep going, we require financial backing since we do not receive any financial support from Government sources. Hence, LAND is a charity-driven organization to keep up with our on going hefty expenses. Most of our disabled members are wheelchair users thus vehicles with tail-left equipment has to hired each time an activity is organized, three outings per month costs Lm350. Although Lm2.00 transport fee is charged per user, the remainder is subsidized from funds collected. Furthermore, other expenses include communications, issuing of circulars and participation costs when our members and their personal assistants participate in conferences abroad and locally. Total annual expenses amount up to Lm4, 500.

Future aims:

To be in a financial position to also subsidies and eventually cut all costs of our volunteers. Most of our members require a one to one assistance basis and sometimes this turns out to be our biggest hurdles since volunteers are hard to come by in large numbers and their assistance is vital during each activity.

To hopefully have our own premises for committee meetings and to promote independent living life-style tasks.

Independent living concept

The Independent Living Era emerged in the early seventies in the USA, when Vietnam veterans returned to their homeland crippled and maimed from the war. Most of these young men ended up living an institutionalized life, adding insult to injury. Rebelling against this situation they embarked for their rights and created the Independent Living Movement to re-obtain control of their lives. The Independent Living Movement, defined independence in 1989 as being Morris, Jenny 1995] able to achieve our goals. The point is that independent people have control over their lives, not that they perform every tasks themselves. Independence is not linked to the physical or intellectual capacity to care for oneself without assistance; independence is created by having assistance when and how one requires it.

LAND promotes independent living as it enables control of ones life with the right equipment and human resources. In fact a number of our disabled members and their aides attended conferences abroad and participated in this matter to broaden knowledge and thus share.

However, it emerged that members and their aides that are employed in the public service aren��t entitled for leave with pay, undermining such golden opportunities within the EU structure. We have written to the Prime Minister about this sensitive matter and are still awaiting a reply.

Volunteers

People over 18 years of age can join us in this dynamic Endeavour.

Members

Persons from 18 years of age with a physical disability only may join LAND and have to be responsible for their own selves and their actions.

Where to contact us

One can email on landcontact@hotmail.com or call Tonio Mercieca on 99468814 or Sarah Cassar on 79385991

Money donations can be deposited on HSBC 0750386460

Regards,

Jeanesse