J Benjamin: Disability Awareness Month

16 November 2006

Master of ceremony,
The mayor of Namaqua district,
The mayor of Calvinia,
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Services,
Councillors from Namaqualand,
Representatives from the national and provincial departments of Social
Development,
National and Provincial representatives form Disabled Children's Action Group
(DICAG),
Dignitaries,
Fellow people with disabilities,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour and privilege for me to be here with you on this important
occasion, as we commemorate Disability Awareness Month.

Today's event focuses on raising awareness through to sensitising the
Calvinia community and relevant stakeholders regarding norms and standards to
improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Today's event is
centred on 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 programmes, changing mind sets and transforming to
create a truly democratic, people-centred 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 3 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 sensitise all South Africans, in the fight against violence and abuse that
is directed at women and children with disabilities. The 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
programmes 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 Programme Director, to share a connotation from a recent
departmental event to celebrate women with disabilities: namely that woman 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, physical 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, neighbours 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 people 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 welfare 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 recognised 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 goal 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 programme 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 of 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-governmental organisations (NGOs) 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 organisations 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
organisations.
* Provision of social security though reach about 1,2 million people and
children with disabilities receive the disability and care dependency
grant.
* Sustainable livelihood programmes aim 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,
NGOs and the private sector in the provision of structural programmes of
developmental nature. Therefore it becomes crucial that initiatives are
strengthened.

Launching of DICAG

As we launch the DICAG, an organisation of parents of children with
disabilities, we signify and symbolise 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 end to advocate for changes to 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 an
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 people 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 be exposed to development programmes in order to enable them to build a
better life for themselves. In order to achieve these goals, partnerships
amongst the various sectors of society including business, labour, 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 or 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 issue 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 recognise 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, and 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 organisations 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.

I thank you for your attention!

Issued by: Department of Social Development
16 November 2006