All government buildings should be accessible for People with disabilities - North West Premier Thandi Modise
Every facility under control of government will be made accessible to People with Disabilities, North West Premier Thandi Modise said at the closing of a two-day Provincial Disability Rights Conference that ended in Mahikeng on Friday.
“Every municipality must make sure that its buildings are accessible to People with Disability. We will make sure that every facility under the control of government is accessible to people with disability. Clinics and other buildings must all be wheelchair friendly,” said Premier Modise.
Premier Modise also echoed Representative of the North West House of Traditional Leadership, Kgosi Anthea Seatlholo’s concern that the current disability grant needed to be increased as People with Disability often needed more support which tend to increase their financial burden, saying that her administration will raise the matter with the national government.
Delegates emerged from the conference convened under the theme “Breaking barriers, open doors for an inclusive society for all, with key priority areas for the disability rights sector that will inform the work of the Provincial Government over the next five years.
“We have singled-out education, health, universal access, economic empowerment, governance, institutional support, decent jobs and employment as critical areas that should be given urgent attention by government,” read the declaration.
The conference also resolved that the Provincial Government should lobby for the health policy to be reviewed to include other types of disabilities such as Albinism.
Delegates were also resolute that 2% employment target must be achieved by all departments in the next two years and that the government must take action against those that fail to achieve this target.
“We congratulate Premier Thandi Modise and her team in the Provincial Administration for convening this important conference and wish that they use their evident energies to ensure effective implementation of the resolutions of this conference,” said delegates in the declaration.
The delegates closed by paying a fitting tribute to the late former President Nelson Mandela.
“We remain indebted to Madiba as he laid a firm foundation for a united, democratic, prosperous and an inclusive South Africa that disregards any form of unfair discrimination. We will continue to pursue the ideals that he represented. Our conference is therefore the first step in defending the legacy of Nelson Mandela.”
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Spokesperson
Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
Email: LKgwele@gmail.com
