By Marlene Le Roux
Dear Mr. President, thank you for presenting a five year plan for the Government of National Unity.
Thank you for mentioning Persons With Disabilities (PWD) as part of the future of an inclusive and transformational South African Society.
Allow me to suggest a few ways in which this laudable aspiration can be a meaningful, specific action plan:
1. Central to your speech was a focus on job creation.
For most PWD this begins and ends with internships. Why can’t the government implement a policy to insentivise companies/organisations/ authorities/ government administration to create meaningful and sustainable jobs for PWD?
2. In terms of combating poverty.
A second important element in your speech, why not extend the current system of social grants for households with persons with severe disabilities to include a more inclusive approach that not only focus on the PWD , but also the household and the broader support network? In this way, a less vunerable care structure is realised.
3. What could the development of skills mean for young people with disabilities?
First of all, why not consider a review of the current system of special needs education?
This often seems to be an isolation space for persons with disabilities . The diversity of disabilities and the best way for each category should receive adequate and best insentives.
Added to this is when young persons with disabilities turn 18 all infrastructural support ends. Here, vocational and tertiary education could be a specific instrument to make it possible for young persons with disabilities to acquire the necessary skills to obtain jobs.
A last policy suggestion is why not demand of each ministry to include in its plans a specific aspect in terms of improvement of the lives of PWD? Whether it is in the sector of transport, job creation, education, accessibility of administrational services, actually all Ministries.
Mr. President let this historic 7th administration work for Persons With Disabilities.
Marlene Le Roux is a Disability Activist.
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