About Us
Equal Partners was set up by twelve founder families who in collaboration with a group of professionals in the fields of disability and education sought to establish a Foundation that provides adequate support programmes to persons with disabilities.
At the end of the year 1998, 12 families, each having a child with disability, started to meet in each others' homes in order to share their experiences, including thoughts, therapies, knowledge about disability and plans for the future. During these meetings they were joined by a number of professionals who at the time were providing services to these families' children. Everyone welcomed this collaboration between parents and professionals, especially since the children were benefiting from it. Therefore, an agreement was reached to officially establish a foundation promoting this collaboration and interaction. The Foundation was officially founded in January of 1999.
To build communities that celebrate diversities in our homes, schools, churches, villages, health, play, leisure and work places advocating for equal opportunities and rights.
The Social Model of Disability is the basis upon which all the services offered by the Foundation are organised read more >>
Committee Members::
Mr. Colin Galea :: President
Ms. Charmaine Agius Ferrante :: Vice President
Ms. Mary Rose Buttigieg :: Treasurer
Ms. Louise Pisani
Mr. Philip Grech
Ms. Madelen Cutajar
Ms. Claire Florian
Ms. Mariabelle Muscat
Dr. Elena Tanti Burlo (Consultant Psychologist)
Mrs. Louisa Grech :: Executive Manager
Ms. Claire Micallef (Educational Pyschologist)
Mrs. Loraine Farrugia :: Office Administrator
Networking
The Foundation has networks with other similar agencies, such as Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Appogg and L-Ghaqda Bormliza ghall-Persuni b'Dizabilita. The Foundation not only provides services to these agencies, but also with Dar tal-Providenza has organized seminars and workshops with foreign experts in the disability area.
Another aspect of collaboration that the Foundation emphasizes is that with state, church and private schools. The Foundation works tirelessly to improve the scholastic life of children with disability. The work includes organising consultation meetings for the parents, Head of School, the class teacher and the facilitator. During these meetings, the team helps to develop the childs' individualized education programme (IEP) in the context of the ordinary classroom, as well as, the peer preparation programme, which prepares the classmates for the arrival of a child with disability. The Foundation had taken it upon itself to assist schools to find people who are competent to work as facilitators, and also to give them professional training free of charge.
