The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) is convening the National Disability Rights Machinery (NDRM) meeting to strengthen the implementation of disability rights in South Africa.
The meeting, which will be held in Durban from 8 - 10 July, brings together government departments, constitutional institutions, organisations of persons with disabilities, civil society, academia, the private sector, and development partners to ensure that people with disabilities remain at the centre of policy development, service delivery, and community empowerment programmes.
The meeting forms part of government's ongoing efforts to accelerate the implementation of the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, advance the constitutional rights of persons with disabilities, and promote an inclusive society in line with South Africa's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The National Disability Rights Machinery serves as South Africa's primary coordination platform for disability rights. It enables stakeholders to review progress in implementing disability policies, identify challenges and develop collaborative solutions aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
The meeting is expected to review progress made in mainstreaming disability inclusion across government, strengthen intersectoral coordination and identify practical measures to improve access to education, healthcare, employment, transport, justice, and other essential services for persons with disabilities.
The White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, approved by Cabinet in 2015, provides South Africa's comprehensive policy framework for advancing the rights and socio-economic inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The policy framework is built on nine pillars aimed at advancing disability inclusion. It includes, among others, the removal of barriers to access and participation, the support of sustainable, integrated community life, and the reduction of economic vulnerability.
Through the implementation of the White Paper, government aims to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy equal opportunities, accessible public services, reasonable accommodation, protection from discrimination and meaningful participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives. – SAnews.gov.za
