Media statement by the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, MP, on the occasion of the launch of the 2015 national Disability Rights Awareness Month in Pretoria
Programme Director, Mr Mzolisi Toni;
Acting Director-General, Mr Thokozani Magwaza;
Mr Antonius Spek, National Executive Director, South African National Council for the Blind;
Mr David Roderiques, Manager, Optima College;
Mr Looks Matoto, Deputy Chairperson of Disabled People South Africa and other leaders of disability organisations;
Members of the media.
Good morning!
South Africa celebrates Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between 3 November and 3 December. This provides us with an opportunity to reflect on progress made in realising the rights of persons with disabilities as equal citizens, as well as to take notice of new challenges that are emerging which require attention.
The activities during the month furthermore aim to increase awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities as equal citizens among society in general and demonstrate government’s commitment to the promotion, protection and upholding of the rights of persons with disabilities by removing access and participation barriers to socio-economic opportunities and justice and by strengthening the representative voice of persons with disabilities.
The 2015 Disability Rights Awareness Month coincides with the country’s celebration of 60 years of the Freedom Charter. The Freedom Charter continues to guide and inform the transformation path of our beautiful country, of building a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it, black and white. A South Africa that also belongs to girls, boys, men and women with disabilities who live in it, black and white.
The Disability Rights Charter of South Africa, released in 1992 by Disabled People South Africa in consultation with all other major disabled people organisations, explains the Freedom Charter and its relevance to persons with disabilities living in South Africa, and subsequently informed the development of the Integrated National Disability Rights Strategy, released by the South African government in 1997.
The Gauteng Provincial Government is hosting a Disability Rights History Workshop and the Inaugural Public Lecture on Activists for Disability Rights in memory and honour of our struggle heroes who placed disability on our transformation agenda during Disability Rights Awareness Month.
Much has been written on how the first twenty years of democracy impacted on the lives of all South Africans, including persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have testified on a number of platforms in 2014 of the positive impact the first twenty years of democracy had on their lives.
Persons with disabilities now enjoy protection against discrimination on the basis of disability, and the right to substantive equality and dignity, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and we have seen a number of court judgements that entrenched this right. Since 1994 representation of persons with disabilities has increased in various decision-making positions. We have a number of judges and magistrates with disabilities, while Parliament has more than 10 members with disabilities.
As a government we have listened to the concerns of persons with disabilities at the slow pace of progress, of the need to also focus on groups which are less vocal and whose often ‘invisible’ disabilities place them last in the line of affirmative action and reasonable accommodation support measures put in place to promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
Universal access is important in this regard. By universal access we mean the removal of cultural, physical, social and other barriers that prevent people with disabilities from entering, using or benefiting from the various systems of society that are available to other citizens and residents. The absence of accessibility or the denial of access is the loss of opportunities to take part in the community on an equal basis with others.
Persons with disabilities also have full access to Bus Rapid Transit systems in our main centres, which have been developed on universal design principles. Optima College is a perfect example of providing universal access to technology for blind and partially sighted persons.
This concept is premised on encouraging, and developing the skills for self-sufficiency, with a focus on eliminating the need for charity or welfare in individuals and groups.
From a disability perspective this means empowering or developing the skills and abilities amongst persons with disabilities and/or their care givers to effectively communicate their socio-economic needs to others in society.
Ladies and gentlemen, Government is committed to ensure that all persons with disabilities enjoy the right to represent themselves, including in decision-making processes as well as in advocating for their rights. This requires of us to create accessible platforms for consultation, including alternative platforms for persons who find it difficult to self-advocate in large meetings, to put measures in place to reach persons with disabilities who live in deep rural areas, who are homeless, or who have been displaced, as these groups often do not have access to existing consultative platforms. We are working with disability organisations to strengthen this area of our work.
Persons with disabilities can and do contribute to the development of their communities, their schools, their work places and to the country as tax payers. Empowerment is therefore identified as a core cross-cutting theme for enabling persons with disabilities to avail of and access all socio-economic development opportunities and rights that exist.
Internationally, research has shown that disability exclusion is not only an individual human rights issue, but also a developmental concern. The International Labour Organisation estimated in 2009 that South Africa loses about 7% of its annual GDP due to exclusion of people with disabilities from the workplace and the subsequent productivity loss.
Children with disabilities were not welcome in ordinary schools prior to 1994. Today, all children between the ages of 7 and 15 have to attend school by law. This includes children with disabilities. Our education policies make it clear that children with disabilities should be accommodated in the local schools, and that they need to be provided with the support they need to learn.
We call on parents, disability rights activists, councillors and communities to ensure that all children with disabilities are enrolled in school in 2016 if they are between the ages of 7 and 15 years of age.
If a school principal refuses a child with a disability access to a school, the parent can appeal to the MEC for Education and if this still does not help, to the South African Human Rights Commission and even the Equality Courts.
Our focus as both government and communities should now shift to improving access for children with disabilities and quality of education in our local community schools, and no longer sending our disabled children to far away special schools where they are often not safe and where the quality of education often leaves much to be desired. This also means that we need to ensure that children with disabilities have access to safe, inclusive early childhood development programmes in the communities where they live so that they are school-ready by the age of 6.
Ladies and gentlemen, a particular focus throughout all the activities of Disability Rights Awareness Month 2015 will be on the diversity within the disabled community. As indicated earlier, it is important to acknowledge the diversity within the disabled population. For too long have those who are able to mobilise and speak out, dominated the focus, often at the cost of those who are less visible and less vocal. Too often do we associate disability with wheelchair users, white cane users, hearing aids, sign language and/or braille users.
The focus will therefore fall on upholding the rights of persons with ‘invisible’ disabilities such as psychosocial disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, epilepsy and dyslexia, among others.
We will also intensify our fight against discrimination, segregation, exclusion and marginalisation. Inclusion is regarded as a universal human right and aims at embracing the diversity of all people irrespective of race, gender, disability or any other differences.
Inclusion implies a change from an ‘individual change model’ to a ‘system change model’ that emphasises that society has to change to accommodate diversity or all people. This involves a paradigm shift away from the specialness’ of people to the nature of society and its ability to respond to a wide range of individual differences and needs. It also requires that we rethink how we deliver services and plan our human settlements.
Disabled People South Africa will be hosting a Disability Conversation Roundtable on Housing, Accommodation and Assisted Living versus Residential Facilities in Mpumalanga during the month to provide a platform for dialogue on accelerating the pace towards the development of alternatives to residential care for persons with disabilities requiring safe shelter support as well as personal assistance.
The role of the private sector in creating an equal society will be under the spotlight when the South African Human Rights Commission launches the Disability Toolkit and Monitoring Framework in Johannesburg at the end of November 2015.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, the National Development Plan notes that “Disability must be integrated into all facets of planning, recognising that there is no one-size-fits-all approach”. An efficient, effective and development oriented state machinery that delivers services in an equitable manner is an essential element of a capable and developmental state. Equitable service delivery requires well-run and effectively coordinated state institutions with skilled and accountable public servants, as well as functional institutional mechanisms to facilitate effective and efficient cooperative governance.
Disability Rights Awareness Month 2015 will strive to make it easier for rights-holders to hold public servants accountable by making contact information of key managers available and accessible.
Cabinet will be considering the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the Disability Rights Awareness Month 2015 for final approval.
The White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, once approved, will commit duty bearers to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities by accepting full responsibility and accountability for delivering services to ALL South Africans, black and white, able-bodied and disabled, men and women. It will also strengthen recourse for persons with disabilities and their families if this does not happen.
Let us use this month to celebrate the achievements of persons with disabilities, to raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and their families, and to strengthen partnerships between government, disability organisations, the private sector and civil society.
Thank you very much.
