ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER - COMMEMORATION OF THE
DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH, CALVINIA SPORTS GROUND. DATE: 16 NOVEMBER
2006
Master of ceremony
The mayor of Namaqua district
The mayor of Calvinia
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Services
Councilors from Namaqualand
Representatives from the national and provincial departments of Social
Development
National & Provincial representatives form Disabled Children’s Action
Group (DICAG)
Dignitaries
Fellow people with disabilities
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is an honor and privilege for me to be here with you on this
important occasion, as we commemorate the Disability Awareness Month.
Today’s event focuses on raising awareness through to sensitize the
Calvinia community and relevant stakeholders regarding norms and
standards to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
Today’s event is centered around the theme: Rights of Persons with
Disabilities: Development in Action” which calls on key stakeholders
especially government to revert to their set objectives and goals on
disability, and work to translate them into concrete realities for
people with disabilities. It further focuses on the implementation of
accessible programs, changing mind sets and transforming to create a
truly democratic, people-centered society where the people of South
Africa in general, and people with disabilities specifically, can share
in the successes of such a society in the broadest sense. Today we are
celebrating education and empowerment, a day that should inspire people
with disabilities to rise to their full potential and achieve more.
The month has been declared the disability awareness month to enhance
the recognition that social progress and the full enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation,
equality and development of people with disabilities and to acknowledge
their contribution to the development initiatives of this country. It
was further set aside to accommodate build up processes to the
International Day of Disable People, which is celebrated on the 3rd
December.
The Disability awareness month embraces part of 16 Days of Activism on
no violence against women and children. It therefore provides an ideal
opportunity to sensitize all South Africans, in the fight against
violence and abuse that is directed at women and the children with
disabilities. Majority of children with disabilities live in extreme
poverty, and in harsh conditions. Youth with disabilities have fewer
opportunities than their peers to access development programs or work.
This is compounded by the negative attitudes from their peers and the
community, which impacts on their self-esteem and confidence. Most
importantly, children with disabilities, in particular girls are more
vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.
Allow me program Director to share a connotations from a recent
departmental event to celebrate women with disabilities: Namely that
women with disabilities have come a long way, and still have a long road
to achieve total equality with their counterparts. There are women, in
rural areas, farming communities and small towns, who have yet to enjoy
the fruits of liberation, women with disabilities physically and
intellectual disabilities; as well as those who are Deaf and blind are
experiencing worse forms of discrimination and abuse. Let us use this
opportunity to share experiences, to educate and act against any form of
abuse and to curb the abuse of our girl child with disabilities. These
include our wives, neighbors and friends who have any form of
disability.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the challenges of ensuring that people with
disabilities get their fair share of the proverbial cake make gatherings
of this nature imperative. There should be no doubt whatsoever that
persons with disabilities are not only willing to play a meaningful role
in our unfolding economic transformation, but they are also able and
extremely well-endowed with the relevant and sought-after skills so
sorely needed in the highly competitive global environment.
What then is the role that Government is expected to play?
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have as a department entered a new course in
our country’s history, shifting from the welfarist approach to the
social developmental perspective, which reaches out to the millions of
our people who are living in abject poverty and deprivation and lack of
access to resources. This paradigm shift from the tradition of helping
the poor through handouts, to development and empowerment communities,
will assist the department together and its partners in the fight
against the socio-economic challenges facing the country.
Recently the Department of Social Development facilitated a disability
consultative workshop to highlight the plight of vulnerable people with
disabilities. It signified the partnership between the department and
people with disabilities, breaking down the barriers and creating a
culture in which differences will be recognized and diversities
celebrated. This intervention came as a result of the Department’s
corporate commitment to accelerate disability equity in its service
provision.
In recognition of the need to promote the goals of sustainable
development and to redress past imbalances, the social service sector
adopted the developmental approach to service delivery that would
integrate social development with economic development. This is evident
in the following processes that the department has embarked on:
- Commissioned desktop study to determine the social
needs of people with disabilities and trends in order to facilitate
and inform policy and develop appropriate program development
responsive to needs of People with Disabilities. A consultative
workshop with the disability sector and key stakeholders was held in
preparation for the development of an implementation strategy.
- A directory of services is currently being and will
be made accessible to stakeholders and service recipients across
provinces.
- An overarching disability policy has been developed
to provide strategic guidelines in the delivery of social services.
The policy’s aim is to facilitate the transformation shifts in line
with the current policy framework of the department, to promote the
inclusion for people with disabilities. It outlines a broad agenda to
address disability issues. The policy will contribute immensely
towards the improvement of the lives of people with disabilities
- An Integrated Policy on the Management of
Protective Workshops was developed to enhance the integrated social
support services, development and delivery of comprehensive, quality
services. This will contribute to the empowerment of people with
disabilities, their self-worth, self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
- The department and non-government organizations
have a joint responsibility to providing social services. In this
regard the department is providing financial support to both national
and provincial councils, bodies and organizations rendering direct
services to people with disabilities.
- Capacity building manuals are currently being
developed to facilitate, support and promote provision of information
regularly to disability organizations
- Provision of social security through reach about 1,
2 million people and children with disabilities receive the disability
and care dependency grant.
- Sustainable livelihood programs aims to train and
generate long-term economic opportunities for people with
disabilities.
I am also aware, Ladies and Gentlemen, that while we
have made many strides towards improving the conditions faced by people
with disabilities, we still face many challenges that we need to deal
with urgently.
In terms of the Constitution citizens have a right to social services.
As a result, government has a primary role to provide these appropriate
services through an enabling environment. The strength of the Department
lies in partnerships with civil society. The provision of developmental
social services is a collective responsibility of various role players
including government, non-governmental organizations and the private
sector, in the provision of structural programs of developmental nature.
Therefore it becomes crucial that initiatives are strengthened.
Launching of DICAG
As we launch the Disabled Children’s Action Group (DICAG), an
organization of parents of children with disabilities, we signify and
symbolizes the full participation and self-representation with the
disability sector. DICAG represents the aspirations of the parents to
empower themselves, to educate their children in an inclusive
environment and to advocate for changes the stereotypes and perceptions
of disability in this country.
This Ladies and Gentlemen, has created a working partnership between
government and the disability sector by putting in place mechanisms and
institutional framework for positive affirmation for people with
disabilities. As outlined in the Integrated National Disability Strategy
(INDS) of 1997, the process has ensured that people with disabilities
are part of the mainstream beneficiaries of our democracy and freedom.
They too have begun to make an impact in the processes that seek to
shape the future of their children and of the country.
There should be no doubt whatsoever that persons with disabilities are
not only willing to play a meaningful role in our unfolding economic
transformation.
All people with disabilities and parents with children with disabilities
should to be exposed to development programs in order to enable them to
build a better life for themselves. In order to achieve these goal
partnerships amongst the various sectors of society including business,
labor, the government and, indeed, families and communities at large are
of crucial importance.
The launch of DICAG today, Ladies and Gentlemen denotes the development
of a strategic partnership in the process of change, and the increased
engagement on the issue of human rights for persons with disabilities.
This is indeed a highly encouraging sign for the future.
I wish to extend my congratulations for the remarkable outreach work and
achievements(partnership) acquired by the department, especially the
provincial disability co-ordinators and the district representatives for
ensuring integration of services. Ladies and Gentlemen, disability is a
cross cutting issue, which calls on an integrated and concerted effort
from all stakeholders and all government departments to work together.
It has been repositioned from being seen as a Health and Welfare issues
to a developmental and human rights issue, making it everybody’s
responsibility.
In conclusion, comrades and friends, the world must acknowledge that
people with disabilities across the world continue to face barriers that
prevent them from enjoying their full civil, political, economic,
social, cultural and developmental rights. Further to this our responses
should recognize that some categories of people with disabilities are
particularly vulnerable to discrimination and abuse. Our efforts
therefore have to pay specific attention to the rights of women,
children, youth, elderly people with disabilities; including those who
live in remote rural areas or who have been displaced by violence and
war, and people with severe intellectual or mental disabilities. The
debate about the rights of the disabled is therefore connected to a
larger debate about the place of difference in society.
It is for this reason that we invite NGOs and faith based organizations
to invest in Calvinia, to enter into partnership with the department, to
achieve our strategic goal and principles. Such partnerships include
right to education, right to vocational training and the related rights.
If the value of equality is to be applied consistently, it is important
to ensure that all persons – including those with disabilities – are
included in such preparatory processes.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !!!!!!! |
