Disability Pride Month: Celebrating Strength, Resilience and Inclusion in Gibraltar
By Christian Santos, Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism
Disability Pride Month in July is a timely reminder of the strength, resilience and invaluable contributions of persons with disabilities within our community here in Gibraltar. This month is about raising awareness, but also very much about celebrating identity, promoting inclusion and creating a society where everyone can be given opportunities to thrive and contribute equally.
Disability Pride is about changing the narrative that very often focuses on limitations. We focus rather on potential. Disability is an integral part of human diversity and can happen to anyone at any time of their lives. This diversity enriches our society, and in Gibraltar, we will ensure persons with disabilities are not defined by their impairments or limitations. They are instead valued for their talents, aspirations and contributions.
The GSLP/Liberal Government’s Ministry for Equality has made important strides in advancing accessibility and equality. Our legal framework supports the rights of persons with disabilities and initiatives have been introduced to improve physical access, education opportunities and employment prospects. But there is still work to be done.
The Supported Needs and Disability Office (SNDO) under my Ministry of Equality was set up in 2021. It has quickly evolved into a one-stop shop for disability services, coordinating services such as the Blue Badge Scheme, the Frontier Pass, the Disability Information Card and the RADAR Key Scheme. This office coordinates with other Government departments to ensure services are across the board. The SNDO manager sits on multiple boards guaranteeing that equity is not an afterthought but rather a foundational principle in public policy and planning.
We are working towards a Central Database Project to develop a disability database that will allow us to extract vital statistics and forecast future needs. And, importantly we deliver training to both the public and private sectors so others can also become agents of change.
My Ministry is committed to the extension and ratification in Gibraltar of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I have met with the UK Minister for Disabilities, Sir Stephen Timms, to discuss this in detail and continue to work closely with the Disability Unit, Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to ensure this happens.
True equality requires dismantling both visible and invisible barriers. We are working towards ensuring that public spaces, services and workplaces are accessible to all. It means challenging attitudes and misconceptions that perpetuate discrimination or pity. And it means amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities in policy making so their lived experiences shape the decisions that affect them.
The newly set up Lived Experience Council is comprised of individuals who themselves live with supported needs and disabilities. They bring their experience to the table and are instrumental in helping us identify barriers and find solutions to remove them. The NGO Council is made up of 13 NGOs working within the disability space. Their expertise also has a bearing on the decisions we make. We listen and we act.
As Minister for Equality and a proud Gibraltarian I urge every individual, organisation and institution in Gibraltar to reflect on how we can create a more inclusive society. We need to celebrate diversity of abilities by promoting greater understanding, respect and solidarity.
Our community is stronger when every member can participate fully, contribute meaningfully and live with dignity. Disability Pride Month is a reminder and a challenge, to build a Gibraltar where equality is not an aspiration but a reality for all.
I pledge to uphold the values of respect, inclusion and pride, this July and every day, and I urge everyone to do the same.
