Disabled protest against discrimination, abuse
Disabled people continue to struggle against rampant discrimination and abuse, say those who held a picket in Bonteheuwel on Saturday.
Twenty Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) members held the protest in Bluegum Street ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on Sunday December 3.
In South Africa, National Disability Rights Awareness Month is from November 3 until December 3, with the latter known as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced last month that her department had presented to cabinet on the sixth annual progress report on the implementation of the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls for an increase from 2% to 3% minimum employment equity target for people with disabilities in the 2024/2025 financial year.
She added that this awareness month offered an opportunity for all to remove social barriers and perceptions while improving the quality of life of disabled people through “resourceful, sustainable and safe environments”.
Shahied Africa, from the DPSA, however, said unemployment remained a big hurdle for disabled people.
“We are still being discriminated against and overlooked for opportunities. We are also still denied access to certain buildings, as they are not wheelchair-friendly.
“There is also this general stigma against people with disabilities. There are also many cases of abuse - and this coming from their own family members. The abuse ranges from physical, emotional, and financial, as the family members abuse the disabled person’s grant money.”
Elroy Lodewyk, another member of the DPSA, called for disabled people to be part of policymaking.
“There have been cases where government implement policies or initiatives first, and afterwards they want to consider disabled people. We need to be included before decisions are made.
“An example of this is when a health-care provider speaks to our carer about our health when we are right there in the wheelchair. I am the patient, not my carer, and they must speak to us, not about us.
“This time of the year, it’s the only time when disabled people are recognised. It’s also close to voting, and now you will find political parties offering transport to voting stations for disabled people, and then you don’t hear from them again until the next election.
“Transport is also a big challenge for us. Dial-a-Ride works for some but not all of us as the booking system can become full, and then you have no transport available. We need more options for transport as we can’t get on a train or a taxi.”
