The Department of Social Development invites the media to the handover of an accessible computer laboratory, sponsored by the MTN-SA Foundation, to Impumelelo Centre for Disabled People in Inanda, eThekwini, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 9 December 2014.
The department has declared 2014 as the Year of Persons with Disabilities, a call for all of us to protect, promote and uphold the rights of persons with disabilities. Access to information is central to people-centered development and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Impumelelo of the Disabled Community Projects was established in 2010 as an initiative by persons with disabilities for persons with disabilities and their families living in the Amatikwe and Amawoti areas of eThekwini Metro in KwaZulu-Natal. The Amatikwe and Amawoti communities in Inanda, eThekwini, consist of predominantly impoverished households living in peri-rural settings.
Persons with disabilities living in these communities are subjected to extremely hostile environments which often keep them housebound due to inaccessible transport systems, road and street networks, inaccessible buildings, including schools, clinics and shops. They are also often subjected to harassment and discrimination due to the traditional beliefs associated with disability. Households with disabled family members are often at a financial disadvantage due to the additional costs associated with disability. Persons with disabilities themselves therefore often feel marginalised and excluded from community life and do not seize opportunities available to the community.
The computer centre will for the first time provide persons with severe physical as well as visual and intellectual disabilities living in Inanda and surrounds, with access to information & communication technology, unlocking a world of information, empowerment, education and work to them.
The official handover is scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Time: 11h00
Venue: Inkululeko Yabantu Site No. 1, Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal
The handing over of the centre takes place as the country winds down after the 2014 National Disability Rights Awareness Month, and gives effect to this year’s United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ theme: “Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology”.
Media RSVP’s and media enquiries please contact:
Ms Emilie Olifant
Cell: 082 903 9250
E-mail: emilieo@dsd.gov.za
