Pretoria - People living with disabilities have been encouraged to make use of the opportunity available to them to access FIFA Confederations Cup tickets at lower prices.
Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, said the price for these tickets has been set at the Category four ticket price, which is the cheapest category of tickets, starting at R70.
Tickets for people on wheelchairs include a complimentary ticket for the person accompanying the disabled person to the match.
According to FIFA, the wheelchair positions will vary according to the layout of each stadium but they are generally situated along the length of the pitch.
Also encouraging is that easy wheelchair access was one of the main requirements in the design of all the new stadiums in the country.
Unlike other games, where people with disabilities sat behind the teams' bench, for the first time, all stadiums to be used during the Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup will have a paraplegic seating section. This section will cater for people with disabilities and includes a disability suite to house disabled dignitaries.
Minister Mayende-Sibiya welcomed the efforts made by FIFA and the Local Organising Committee to ensure that both the FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup games were equally accessible to persons with disabilities.
"We are very encouraged by the arrangements made to ensure that persons with disabilities participate fully in this historic moment for South Africa and the African continent to host the world's biggest sporting tournament.
"This tournament has to be a memorable event for all and I am glad that no one can be excluded from cheering his or her favourite team only on the basis of physical disability," said Minister Mayende-Sibiya.
She added that as one of its focus areas, the new Ministry for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities will seek to ensure that public buildings and facilities are fully accessible to persons with various forms of disabilities.
The Confederations Cup, which is currently taking place in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein until 28 June, is a dress rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
