The Cabinet approved a €10 million project for the integration of people with disabilities

On Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved a €10 million project to create a new network of services for the social integration of people with disabilities in Cyprus.

The network will include eight types of services: decision-making counseling, coaches for people with disabilities, personal assistants in the workplace, employment integration specialists, social escorts, sign language interpreters, supported living service providers, and early family support psychologists.

Some services are being introduced for the first time: decision-making consultants, coaches for people with disabilities, personal assistants in the workplace, and early family support psychologists. Decision-making consultants will help provide the necessary information for making decisions and support their implementation. Coaches will identify needs and social skills and provide training. Personal assistants will accompany and transport individuals to work and assist with their job duties.

Employment integration specialists will prepare a professional rehabilitation plan, help draft CVs, and make necessary adjustments in the work environment. Social escorts will accompany people to services, agencies, and leisure activities, helping with communication and social contact. Sign language interpreters will facilitate communication, supported living providers will promote independent living and prevent institutionalization. Psychologists will offer training and counseling to parents and family members of preschool children with disabilities.

The Cyprus Confederation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities will be responsible for providing decision-making counseling services. About 80 consultants will gradually be employed to support approximately 4,000 adults with disabilities. Other organizations will provide social support, personal assistance, training, and professional integration.

The reform provides for the consolidation of all benefits and services for people with disabilities under one law and the separation of disability benefits from the minimum guaranteed income, so that they are granted independently. The budget allocates €26 million for social protection in 2026; by 2028, spending will reach €106 million.