22. Develop a ‘disability charter’ which states the fundamental purpose and philosophy
of the various sector agencies with regard to protecting the rights of persons with
disabilities.
23. Revise the present disability support programme to ensure outcomes-focused funding; simplify and better align assessment processes; and improve the way people
access information and support. Focus needs to be on better outcomes for persons
with disability and enhancing choice for rights holders and improving service flexibility.
24. Establish an ‘Office for Disability’ under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and
Family to provide a single, highly visible and accessible entry point to all government disability support information and services; and ensure longer-term planning
for priority areas including disability supports, making targets and achievements
more transparent, and enhancing monitoring to improve the effectiveness of future
implementation activities.
25. Establish a ‘Disability Forum’ to providing leadership, commitment and a higher
profile for disability related issues in the Maldives. It is recommended that Permanant Secretaries of concerned Ministries be members of the Forum. The Vice Presi-
ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
dent of the Maldives could be invited to chair the Forum.
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26. Establish a formal network of NGOs, professionals, civil society organisations and
volunteers who work on disability issues for better dissemination of information
and extend service delivery beyond the government sector into wider agencies and
society.
27. Conduct a nationwide disability survey to establish a reliable baseline of disability
in the Maldives.
28. Include the set of questions developed by Washington Group on Disability Statistics
in the future population censuses of the Maldives.
29. Designate the Department of National Statistics as the national focal agency for
disability statistics and identify a Statistician from the Department as the focal point
for disability statistics in the Maldives.