President Nikos Christodoulides has inaugurated the new premises of the Cyprus Confederation of Organisations of the Disabled (KYSOAA) and officially launched a disability support service designed to help people with disabilities express their wishes and make decisions about their own lives.
Speaking at Wednesday’s ceremony, Christodoulides stressed the importance of supporting people with disabilities so they can exercise their will, make personal choices and participate equally in society.
He described the occasion as an important step towards improving their daily lives and quality of life, highlighting the need for effective cooperation between the state and organisations representing people with disabilities.
Such cooperation, he said, requires meaningful consultation and the active involvement of people with disabilities in shaping, implementing and evaluating policies that affect them. This obligation is also set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“Our cooperation takes on an even more practical and meaningful dimension through the service of support advisers,” he said.
Support for independent decision-making
The new service aims to provide people with disabilities with the support they need to express their wishes and preferences, make decisions about their lives and put those decisions into practice.
Christodoulides highlighted the importance of personalised support, saying it was essential to promoting individual autonomy and equal participation in society.
He placed particular emphasis on people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, stressing that the assistance they receive must strengthen their ability to make judgements and respect their decisions.
“As a state, we have an obligation and a duty to work towards making independent living and the equal participation of people with disabilities a daily reality,” he said.
In this context, he announced that the Cabinet had approved a reduction in VAT on home care services from 19% to 9%. The measure aims to ease the financial burden on families and support older people, people with disabilities and those requiring ongoing care.
The President also referred to the work of KYSOAA’s Department for Minors, which supports children with disabilities and their families. He said its experience demonstrated the importance of schools responding to pupils’ different needs, describing inclusive education as another major challenge.
He also recalled that the social inclusion of people with disabilities was among the priorities of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He referred to the High-Level Conference on Disability held in Limassol in May 2026, which brought together more than 200 representatives of the European disability movement.
Despite the progress made, he said, much remained to be done, assuring organisations that the government would continue working alongside them.
Cyprus aims to change how decisions are made
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou described the inauguration of the new premises and the official launch of the service, which is already providing daily support, as an important development.
She said that informing people about their rights and supporting them in decision-making had significant social value, adding that social policy must be shaped around the needs of individuals.
Pavlou also highlighted cooperation with KYSOAA through a working group chaired by the Deputy Ministry’s Director General. This work contributed to the preparation of a bill on social participation, inclusion and independent living for people with disabilities.
KYSOAA President Themis Anthopoulou described the new premises as a place belonging to all people with disabilities in Cyprus, rather than simply the Confederation’s headquarters. She said it would serve as a space for representation and advocacy for their rights.
Turning to the new service, she said its purpose was to change the way people with disabilities are supported when making decisions about their lives. The approach would move away from substitute decision-making towards providing support that enables individuals to make their own choices.
She said the initiative was linked to recognising the legal capacity of people with disabilities on an equal basis with others, as provided for under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Particular priority would be given to people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those with higher support needs whose voices are often not heard.
“We do not make decisions for these people. We support them so that they can make decisions about their own lives,” she said.
Anthopoulou added that only 20 of the 194 countries that have ratified the Convention had attempted this fundamental change. She said Cyprus would become the 21st country to do so.
Service aims to support 4,000 people
Anthopoulou also highlighted the work of KYSOAA’s Department for Minors, established approximately a year ago. It currently supports 170 children with disabilities and their families, while also advocating for stronger inclusive education.
She called for additional funding to be allocated in the 2027 state budget so that more eligible people could join the service, expressing the goal of reaching everyone who qualifies by the end of 2028.
Project manager Antis Papadopoulos outlined the expansion of the Support Advisers Service. When he took up his duties in February 2026, there were only two advisers. Their number has since risen to 73, with the aim of filling all 80 positions provided for under the contract by 10 November.
The advisers carry out initial assessments of support needs, record individuals’ social backgrounds and gradually develop personalised social inclusion plans based on their wishes and choices.
Mapping has also begun of the needs of people with disabilities living in unsuitable environments. Plans are also being developed to extend the service to pupils in the final grades of special schools.
“Several thousand people have already approached us,” Papadopoulos said, referring to the service’s first six months of active operation.
He described the assignment of the service to KYSOAA as a significant institutional decision and a strong indication of the state’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are recognised and included.
€10 million project backed by EU funding
Head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus Panikos Pourgourides said the service forms part of the New Network of Social Inclusion Services for People with Disabilities project.
The project has a total budget of €10 million and is part of the THALIA 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy Programme, co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus.
Its aim is to support approximately 4,000 people with disabilities through an upgraded network of social services.
“For a fellow citizen with a disability, this European support means greater independence, more choices and more meaningful control over their daily lives,” Pourgourides said.
He stressed that decision-making support must empower people with disabilities rather than replace their wishes, describing the ability to make decisions about one’s own life as a fundamental human right.
Despite progress, he noted that challenges remain in areas such as accessibility, education, employment and full social participation.
He described the initiative as another meaningful step towards addressing these challenges, adding that nothing concerning people with disabilities should be decided without their participation.
The event was attended, among others, by the Minister of Health, the Minister of Transport, the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights, the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, MPs and representatives of organisations. The ceremony concluded with the ribbon-cutting at the Confederation’s new premises.
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