National Parents' Society of Persons with Disability
NPSPD
____________________________________________________


History of the Society   

The National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disability was founded in 1976 by a group of parents of children with disability. The first president of the Society, who served  for a number of years, was Ms. Frances Ryan. At present the President is Ms Marchita Mangiafico. Since its inception, the Society has been instrumental in the intiatives that have been taken with regard to disability: 

  1. Special classes were organised after pressure was brought to bear by parents.
  2. Support was provided to parents who had just discovered that their child had a disability.
  3. It introduced the notion of respite care, an initiative which led to the founding of Dar il-Kaptan Respite Care Centre.
  4. Activities have been organised to provide a means of socialisation and entertainment for parents and at the same time to offer mutual support. 
  5. As a pressure group, it brought pressure to bear on government and other non-government bodies to ensure that an acceptible level of service is offered in the respective sectors.
  6. It helped introduce the concept of inclusion.
  7. It has participated in various international initiatives.
  

The aims of the Society are: 

  1. to offer support as from birth to children with disability.
  2. to offer assistance and support to parents of children with disability and to educate and help them overcome the difficulties that arise from the situation of their child’s disability.
  3. to organise and carry out those functions and activities which it believes are necessary to fulfill aims 1 and 2 above, and to serve as a unifying force for all those who have the welfare of people with disability at heart.
  4. to facilitate relations between people with disability, their parents, the authorities and professionals in the sector.
  

The work of the Society   

The Society has constantly striven to improve the life of the disabled and their families. Its functions include: 

  1. fostering a sense of friendship, belonging and support to the disabled and their families,
  2. supporting the concept of inclusion at all levels of society,
  3. introducing and following up initiatives in the field of disability,
  4. organising activities for members and non-members on a regular basis, such as get togethers, live-ins, dinners, summer swimming camp,
  5. representation on a number of boards and committees.