Day of inclusion for disabled
INCLUSIVITY has been highlighted as paramount to ensure the well-being of people with disabilities as the world celebrated International Day of Persons with Disabilities yesterday.
Unmute Dance Company celebrated by staging SA’s first integrated arts festival.
Sign language interpreter and company manager Mpotseng Shuping said The Unmute Arts Ability Festival challenged artists to create inclusive art for people with “mixed abilities”.
“Disability is not a challenge. People who cannot deal with disability are a bigger challenge and inclusiveness is important. The festival aims to challenge people’s misconceptions about disability and focuses on ability rather than disability,” said Shuping.
League of Friends of the Blind executive director Armand Bam said the institution took great pride in celebrating the rights and dignity of all persons with disabilities.
“We believe that although the day aims to increase the understanding of disability-related issues, much more can be done. We need to create a more inclusive society which does not marginalise people based on a singular characteristic, (their) disability.”
He said the league would celebrate the achievements of six children, aged five, who move from its early childhood development programme to mainstream or “special schools” next year.
In addition, 27 adults would receive awards today at an awards ceremony for completing Braille and computer literacy, employment readiness, orientation and mobility courses.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been commemorated since 1992, to promote awareness and mobilise support for including persons with disabilities in society and in development.
The UN theme is “Inclusion matters: Access and empowerment for people of all abilities”.
A UN statistic reveals that a billion people living with disabilities worldwide face many barriers to inclusion in many key aspects of society.
“As a result they do not enjoy access to society on an equal basis with others. Persons with disabilities should be able to fulfil their role in society and participate on an equal basis with others,” the statement reads.
The Department of Social Development has allocated R130 million to support people living with disabilities, representing a tripling of the budget in the last five years.
Social Development MEC Albert Fritz said his department rendered services to over 78 000 people living with disabilities in the Western Cape and funded 219 NGOs rendering key services.
“With the right support and care, people living with disabilities can achieve anything they set their goals to achieve,” he said.