Families of people with disabilities painted a stark picture in parliament today: day centres built through years of effort and sacrifice are now at risk of closing, while elderly parents still have to go out and raise money to keep them running.
Christos Avγουstinos, head of the Pancyprian Organisation of Associations of Parents of Children with Special Needs, said organised parents had made it clear from the start that the disability bill under discussion does not cover essential needs. He argued that neither early childhood intervention nor meaningful support for families within their own environment is adequately secured.
Day centres for adults, mainly people with intellectual disabilities, were also at the centre of the debate. These centres were created over the past decade through the initiative and expense of parents themselves. Families are now demanding immediate support, warning that without funding the structures cannot continue operating.
The discussion highlighted the fact that even parents in their 80s are being forced to seek donations in order to keep the centres open. Lawmakers also heard the case of a 71-year-old woman with an intellectual disability who is still being cared for by her 91-year-old mother because the necessary structures do not exist.
The families are demanding urgent solutions and stress that behind the legal language are real people waiting for practical support.
