Economic justice and empowerment for people with disabilities are among the main focus issues to take centre stage during Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM2020).
Deputy Minister in the Presidency: Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize, launched the Disability Rights Awareness Month on Tuesday in Pretoria.
The programme will focus on the main and sub-themes related to the rights of people with disabilities.
DRAM2020 will be observed under the theme, 'Together Building Communities inclusive of Disability Rights'.
The theme seeks to address barriers that exist at all levels that prevent people with disabilities from fully integrating into communities, and contributing to the building of cohesive and socially inclusive spaces.
Speaking at the launch, Mkhize said as with social rights, economic rights can be accorded to all people with disabilities, using the social model and mainstreaming approach.
“On a practical level, it means that amongst other tasks, people with disabilities must be involved in conceptualising, developing, implementing and monitoring economic development policies and programmes.
"They must be considered when programmes and projects are planned, as beneficiaries and implementers, and all barriers to access to the mainstream economy must be eliminated,” Mkhize said.
Little progress in employment opportunities, risk of GBV
Mkhize said there is very little movement on improving the employment status of people with disabilities, since the Employment Equity Act was passed in 1999.
“The department prides itself in seeing government support business enterprises that are run and managed by people with disabilities.
"During this Disability Rights Awareness Month, we will visit two of the national sheltered factories that are in Johannesburg, which manufacture furniture and textiles,” Mkhize said.
The Deputy Minister lamented the fact that people with disabilities are at greater risk of discrimination in accessing healthcare and life-saving procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak.
She noted that women with disabilities are often seen by society as weak, further putting them at greater risk for gender-based violence (GBV).
“The situation is exacerbated by other factors like gender, race and class, as all these work together to create vulnerability to GBV.
"Women with disabilities have also been found to be more psychologically vulnerable than non-disabled women, and they are twice as likely to be victims of sexual abuse, rape and intimate partner violence (IPV) than their non-disabled counterparts.
"Women with disabilities and children with disabilities are at a higher risk of being victims of GBV in South Africa,” Mkhize said.
The DRAM campaign carries weekly sub-themes that are reflected in the Medium Term Strategic Framework (2019-2024) of government.
The following sub-themes are intended to focus conversations on priority areas identified by the disability sector, which also link to the seven priorities of government:
Week 1: Accelerating inclusive learning environments for people with disabilities at all levels.
Week 2: Rebuilding responsive disaster management strategies that place people with disabilities at the centre.
Week 3: Rebuilding an economy accessible to all people with disabilities.
Week 4: Creating an accessible justice system that seeks to address the risk of compounded marginalisation and assisted decision-making legal framework.
Week 5: Launch of the 365 Disability Rights Awareness campaign and outlining the department’s plans in promoting national priorities.
On 3 December 2020, which is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the department will host President Cyril Ramaphosa, where he will address the nation, and deliver a message of support and celebration of achievements by people with disabilities. – SAnews.gov.za
