Thanks Programme director
Director-General
All organisations represented here Government employees present here Members of the Media
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning!
It is an honour and privilege to be part of this important gathering to launch the 2012 Disability Awareness Month as we prepare for 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. During this Disability Month we ought to act in a manner that shows our true commitment to every initiative that is aimed at supporting people living with disabilities.
The people living with disabilities continue to inspire us to appreciate life, regardless of its challenges. In most instances they do remarkable things which many able-bodied people do not do. The recent London Paralympics reminded us of the greatness of people with disabilities. Our Paralympics Team managed to secure many more medals than their counterparts who participated at the Olympics Games a few days before. In actual fact Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee athlete to participate in both Paralympics and Olympics Games. This is a true living testimony of the heights which can be reached by people with disabilities.
In spite of the limitation of the necessary resources to make things simple for them, they still strive to succeed, at times without the assistance of other people. We should always understand that no person ever chose to live with disability and it will be wrong to judge any person because of his or her disability.
We must not only care about people with disabilities because it is Disability Month. But we should forever know that caring for those who need our utmost assistance cannot be replaced or postponed. We must be available to help people with disability without expecting any reward. Those who volunteer their services in various centers are true heroes who deserve words of appreciation and admiration. We are indebted to such people for they go an extra step in supporting people living with disability.
This year we are marking the Disability Month under the theme: “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all”. The volunteers in the institutions and centers that look after people living with disability are in the forefront of removing any barrier that may deny others the opportunity to reach their potential owing to their disabilities.
Those who commit crimes against people living with disabilities must be prosecuted and punished. Those who use people with disabilities to enrich themselves must be exposed. As government, we offer financial assistance to those living with disability through our disability grant. Any person who misuses the disability grant of any beneficiary must be reported to the law enforcement institutions. The disability grant has one responsibility which is to look after a person with disability. The grant must not be used to support the entire household.
During this month, we will be raising awareness through practical action to educate our people about norms and standards that guide processes that are aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities. And through such standards we should be in a good position to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in various sectors of the society.
Although we have registered progress in meeting our target on the issue of employing people with disabilities, a lot is still outstanding. We must work very hard to ensure the active involvement of people with disabilities in the mainstream of the economy. Regardless of the fact that our procurement requirements are biased towards people with disabilities, many are not able to reach such benefits.
Some use people with disabilities to access such benefits in a fraudulent manner through fronting and forwarding misrepresentations. Therefore, we will be using this disability month to highlight all challenges that are being experienced by persons with disabilities in various spheres of life. We will be sharing ideas on how to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities. We will also be celebrating their success and achievements.
We must succeed in all our endeavors of ensuring that the pride of people with disabilities is protected. Together we can build a society that honestly cares about people with disabilities, and a society that does not discriminate against people with disabilities.
The programme of this month must educate us more about the needs of people with disabilities.
Thank you for this opportunity.
