Marcel Pisani – A stalwart that counted for persons with disability

Id-Dar tal-Providenza honours the memory of Mr Marcel Pisani, a great activist in the disability sector, who was called to join his Creator on Saturday, 12th February 2017. His work within the National Parents’ Society Persons with Disability (Għaqda Nazzjonali Ġenituri b’Diżabilità) which he led for a number of years and Aġenzija Sapport of which he was the first CEO, resulted in a better quality of life for many persons with disability and their parents.
In front of all the obstacles that society raised against inclusion and participation by persons with disability in the life of society, added to his own experience of having two disabled children, Marcel did not remain passive but created a parents’ movement to speak up with the authorities on behalf of their children so that they are given what is theirs by right.
The road was not easy, but Marcel’s determination together with that of his wife Adelina and other parents led to the changes that were needed in the mentality of the people that used to look negatively at persons with disability as well as in other services that were totally unavailable.
As part of the National Parents’ Society Persons with Disability, Marcel worked hard for the setting up of Dar il-Kaptan to offer respite services to parents of persons with disability that needed it. Within Aġenzija Sapport, that was practically set up by him, he introduced a wide range of services amongst them the opening of a number of residential homes and other services in the community for persons with disability.
In 2013, Id-Dar tal-Providenza recognised his unstinted work in the disability sector and presented him and his wife Adelina with the Premju Dun Mikiel Azzopardi.
Id-Dar tal-Providenza conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Adelina and his sons Paul and Matthew.