Hazyview - The Mpumalanga Provincial Government has on Thursday launched a campaign to ensure disadvantaged disabled people in the province receive RDP homes that meet their special needs.
The provincial government will through the campaign partner with various organisations to ensure that the disabled live in easily accessible and safe housing.
"People with disabilities are unfairly represented in all spheres of life. This leads to a variety of social problems including inaccessibility to houses," said spokesperson for the provincial Department of Human Settlements, Freddy Ngobe.
The campaign was launched officially in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview as part of Disability Awareness Month.
Ngobe said a provincial database would also be established during the 2010/2011 financial year to identify people with disabilities.
"The information collected during the campaign will be analysed to determine the housing needs of people living with disabilities in the province," he said.
He said all municipalities in the province will conduct individual campaigns to determine the housing needs of the disabled within their municipal areas.
Edgar Sibanyoni, spokesperson of the Bhuga Disabled Group near White River, said the organisation would ensure its members participated in the campaign.
"We hope the government is not just talking to soften us up. We need to see them practising what they preach. We are more than happy with the initiative and will mobilise our people to avail themselves for this opportunity," he said.
A member of Disabled South Africa in Mpumalanga, Dumisani Baloyi said they supported the campaign 100 percent.
"We see this campaign as a major victory for disabled people in the province, and we hope that the contract to build the houses in question can be given to construction companies with disabled workers," said Baloyi.
