Give people with disability independence!

While South Africa eagerly awaits the results of the 2011 Census, the results of the last census carried out by Statistics South Africa 2001, showed that 2.3 million people or 5% of the population at the time had some form of disability or another. Sight and hearing-related disabilities jointly accounted for 52% of those with disabilities. However, more alarmingly, 30% of people with disability had no education at all while this figure is 13% for the total population.

Chapter 2 and sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution of South Africa (CSA) espouses the principles of Equality and Human Dignity, respectively. The CSA envisages equality before the law for all those who live within the border of the country. Section 9 of the CSA admonishes discrimination against anyone on any grounds, including disability.

Our welfare systems, under the auspices of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities (DWCPD), makes provisions for grants and handouts to people with disabilities, but our government falls short when it comes to providing support systems to allow them to live independently. Most people with disability want independence more than anything and providing an education system which seeks to ensure the independence of people with all forms of disabilities, including the most prevalent disabilities of sight and hearing, should be the DWCPD’s focus.

The United States have the “Americans with Disabilities Act” which was first signed into law in 1990 and was amended under President George Bush Snr. in 2008. SA can take some lessons from the US experience.

Our Politicians must show willingness to create effective government!!