Written evidence from Dr Cristina Steliana Mihailovici (DEG0005)
Taking in account COVID 19 crisis situation I think we should more than never to offer support for people with disabilities and their families, and in this category we are including persons with mental health problems.
Risks and crisis situations like this are affecting more people with disabilities and I think that we should improve communication and services between educational system and institutions and community organisations with GPS and Health Institutions and organisations.
From this strong communication could result benefits for all disabled individuals, but also for the community.
We cannot forget that people like Einstein, Mozart, Steve Jobs, Greta Thunberg, etc. they were disabled autistic and because they had the support of their families and their communities, they could achieve their intellectual and individual performance and give back to the community and humanity the best intellectual and innovative gifts.
Like parent, researcher, lecturer and writer I can say that people and younger with disabilities need more than we are offering them right now.
Yes, exists courses and trainings for teachers and lecturers who are teaching SEN children and students, but I think that these could be a lot improved and also the educational services in schools, universities and community for all disable people.
Their performance in the society depends on their quality education and on all support that they can receive from everyone and from all points of view.
I think we should focus better in the next period of time on a very important sustainable goal, SDG 10, reduced inequalities, because yes, disabled people don't benefit from the same conditions like all of us and we should adapt all working, educational or conditions and environment to their needs.
More concrete, I think all employers should support disabled workers with a flexible working programme and flexible tasks, for a better and effective performance for their work results and organisations factors results.
I suggest that this employers should be financially and materially supported and encouraged to can offer optimal conditions to all disabled workers.
When we are speaking about carers, I think we should support also one parent of each family of a disabled children, at least till 16 years old.
A disabled children in the family means many time more stressful situation for a mother, more time consumed, more effort to respond and support his needs, and such a mother is forced in many occasions to renounce to her job because of the pressure and stress factors from home and work, because she needs to support also a disabled child at home, nursery, school or work and prepare him for life and for the society.
I think one of the parents of a family with disabled children should have a flexible working programme to can respond effectively to the working tasks and also to support a disable individual and prepare him for the future, for the community.
Also, I think that could be improved the communication and the whole activities with each Council and authorities, to optimize all services for disabled people and their families.
Exists many times a lack of communication, lack of responsibility and lack of more awareness in the society about this individuals, about the support that they need and about the services that they need and in many occasions they are excluded, stamped or bad classified.
In too many times we are losing a lot like society, because we are not taking in account all their skills and capabilities and we are not adapting them effectively to respond to jobs requirements and needs, to optimize their tasks, for the benefit of everyone.
November 2020