Durban - Although Disability Rights Awareness Month is commemorated annually in South Africa between November 3 and December 3, which is also International Day of Persons with Disabilities, government and disability organisations recognise there is more work to be done.
The theme for this year’s awareness month is “Empowering Persons with Disabilities through resourceful, sustainable and safe environments".
The calendar for the month will include events focusing on social cohesion and safe communities, education, skills and health. Collectively, these are aimed at improving access to communication and information technologies; the adequate resourcing of economic and health related services; capacity building on entrepreneurship and business training; and the provision of access to justice for persons with disabilities.
According to Phuti Mbelebele, a chief director in the presidency dealing with, among other things, the rights of persons with disabilities, South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She said a White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had been approved by government, and processes towards developing a Disability Bill were ongoing.
“Processes towards the development of the Disability Bill or over-arching legislation on disability is under way. The issue paper was published and consulted and we are just awaiting the publishing of the discussion paper for consultation. The department is part of the panel of experts working with the South African Law Reform Commission,” she said.
Mbelebele said some of the barriers faced by persons with disabilities included attutudes towards them, as well as design and the built environment.
She said measures were in place to address this, including a move towards recognising South African Sign Language as a 12th official language, and improvements and modifications to infrastructure.
Mbelebele said that the private sector also had a responsibility to ensure participation of persons with disabilities in the mainstream economy as entrepreneurs, and to uphold the law by eradicating discrimination in the workplace.
Meanwhile, Melanie Lubbe of the South African Disability Alliance (SADA), which advocates for the rights and improvement of the quality of life for persons with disabilities, said there was continued discrimination against and stigmatisation of disabled people, despite international and national developments.
She said not much was being done to improve the lives of disabled persons, and the cost of disability.
Further, most persons with disabilities relied on the public health system, and major challenges were experienced in this regard.
“We noted a trend, that persons with disabilities are offered learnerships, but this very seldom becomes gainful employment, so they keep on doing one learnership after the other just to get a minimum wage. This is of course to the detriment of the employee and the employer. Although we are very grateful, the SASSA disability grant is not nearly enough to cover the costs,” said Lubbe.
She attributed the progress made to international conventions and treaties.
Lubbe said the public sector could show their support by giving disabled persons employment, supporting their organisations financially or in kind, and by disability sensitisation training. Government needed to pass disability legislation, implement policies and provide funding.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE