Dozens of people with disabilities protested outside the presidential palace on Tuesday against new government legislation on disability benefits.

They held placards reading: ‘No To Our Exclusion From Society’, ‘Dignity Means Rights not Charity’, and ‘“Reform Does Not Mean Regression’.

The Pancyprian Organisation of the Blind organised the protest, with support from other groups including the Pancyprian Organisation of the Deaf and the Paraplegic Organisation.

President of the blind organisation Christakis Nikolaides condemned the legislation as “cruel and ruthless,” claiming it will have devastating effects on thousands.

He said the law abolishes long-standing grants for the blind and those with severe mobility impairments, replacing them with new allowances based on vague criteria.

He warned that the criteria for determining eligibility, which include personal support needs and life-threatening conditions, lack transparency.

The new system, he added, fails to consider the actual costs of disability previously covered by grants.

He cautioned that many groups, including those with multiple sclerosis and severe disabilities, will only receive benefits through personal assistants, endangering others.

“This isn’t social policy; it’s economic policy. Many disabled individuals will be left behind,” he stated.

The organisation has submitted a memorandum to the President urging reforms for direct assistance instead of reliance on assistants.

He warned that if the legislation passes unchanged, they will escalate complaints and take them to international courts.

The Pancyprian Organisation of the Blind denounced the government for portraying the bill as beneficial, asserting it primarily aims to cut costs.

They highlighted that the legislation dismantles a 50-year-old system of minimal benefits.

“This legislation effectively ends policies that have allowed blind individuals and others with disabilities to live with dignity,” the organisation said. “Its implementation will lead to exclusion, impoverishment and a violation of human dignity.”

They called on the government to reconsider the legislation before its upcoming parliamentary vote, advocating for reforms that promote inclusion rather than penalising vulnerable citizens.