Initiates an investigation into waiting lists and staff shortages as some cases take up to four years to acknowledge the degree.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, December 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –
This year, the Common Council has recorded the highest number of complaints in its history regarding disability, totalling 563, in contrast to the 125 recorded in 2019, as reported by the institution on the occasion of the ‘International Day of People with Disabilities.’
“Individuals with disabilities encounter obstacles that local organisations, public institutions, and society as a whole must actively address to ease their access to education, employment, healthcare services, transport, and adapted public spaces, among other essential rights. We must act without delay and cannot wait for studies or assessments; solutions need to be identified immediately,” stated Common Representative, Lola Padrón, in a statement.
In this regard, she emphasises the need to “accelerate” the bureaucratic process, as it is unacceptable for public administration to take “four years” to acknowledge a disability.
“We must ensure universal accessibility; we need to be highly sensitive and demonstrate respect towards the rights of individuals with special needs in the Canary Islands,” she stressed.
Padrón noted that the complaints received from the Provincial Council concerning these delays often highlight excessive bureaucracy, insufficient specialised personnel, prolonged assessment times for applications, and a lack of transparency throughout the process.
The primary complaint revolves around the postponement in resolving the degree and reassessing the degree of disability, “which serves as the gateway to exercising other fundamental rights and entitlements,” she elaborated.
Although less frequently mentioned, other complaints pertain to accessibility issues and the challenges that physical, sensory, and cognitive barriers create for individuals with disabilities, as well as the necessity for residential facilities and care for those with disabilities.
With regard to the handling of these complaints, there is clear evidence of delays in processing recognition and reassessment procedures for increasing disability. In many instances, this delay extends to four or five years, a process that should be concluded within six months as per Royal Decree 888/2022, dated October 18.
PARKING PERMITS
This has implications for various other rights, including the issuance of parking permits for the transport of individuals with disabilities who have reduced mobility. For instance, a 95-year-old person experiencing serious mobility issues cannot acquire this permit until their disability recognition is completed, as highlighted by the Common Council.
In the case of minors of school age, recognition is also required to access a range of therapies and adaptations that are essential for their proper development.
“For all these individuals, the periods of delay add to their suffering related to their disabilities and result in lost opportunities that are challenging to recover,” notes Padrón.
The Common Deputy emphasises that it is “clear” that the Assessment and Orientation Teams (EVO), responsible for evaluating and qualifying disability degrees, “face a demand from the public that far exceeds what they can accommodate with the current staffing levels assigned to these responsibilities,” resulting in waiting lists that extend for years “beyond what is deemed acceptable.”
Consequently, she indicated that “an investigation has been initiated to appropriately assess the staffing available to the EVOs and the General Directorate of Disability, as well as the genuine demand and waiting lists that currently exist within this service—information that has yet to be addressed by the General Directorate of Disability.”
There are several proposals that could enhance user satisfaction while alleviating feelings of uncertainty regarding timelines.
According to the Common Representative, “it would be beneficial to allocate more human resources; however, it is necessary to review and simplify administrative procedures, encourage coordination among the various services involved, and clearly inform applicants about the status of their applications.”
