City residents shared their concerns during the provincial public hearings on social development services to persons with disabilities.
THE INDEPENDENCE of people living with disabilities and support programmes for caretakers need to enjoy urgent attention.
These were some of the concerns shared by attendees during the provincial public hearings on social development services to persons with disabilities.
The hearings, which took place at the Protea Hotel in Kimberley on July 4, aimed to get input from community members on the new policy for disabled people.
The director for services for persons with disabilities in the Department of Social Development, Manthipi Molamu, said one of the main issues the policy aims to address is the exclusion of people living with disabilities from various opportunities and programmes.
“People were excited about the issues that are raised in the policy, but they were also overwhelmed by the number of factors that had to be taken into consideration. However, it appears that there is a norm across the country where we have heard the cries that disabled people are excluded or not informed or even granted the same opportunities or living standards as abled-bodied people in society.
“We have in various places heard how communities or families hide disabled people. The people living with disabilities are made to feel shame for having a disability. Many of them are not allowed to live ‘full lives’. In instances like that, the disabled person as well as the community would require counselling services.
“However, some of the services required to address the challenges and problems highlighted fall within the scope of other government departments. That makes the challenges to be dragged out and not attended with the same urgency as one department might attend to it. As Social Development Department, we want this policy to highlight the available services of the department to the people, and also how they can obtain those services.
“We have noted the concerns raised and will highlight on where we can improve our services,” said Molamu.
Attendees said the policy highlighted important matters, but the independence of people living with disabilities needed to be addressed.
“We need a policy that will make people living with disabilities more independent. Some people with disabilities need to be afforded an opportunity to be living on their own. We know of many facilities where disabled people have to stay,” they said.
“The caregivers of the people living with disabilities are also frustrated and at times do not have an outlet or a support group where they can express their frustrations. One finds that some of the duties of having to care for someone with disabilities are minor and easy to carry out. Some families, however, do not expose their disabled family members to carry out minor duties. That creates a co-dependency.
“This policy will hopefully address such issues and give a voice to people living with disabilities and not impose them to live under certain standards that only benefit able-bodied people. The current system is not inclusive and that was evident in how many years people with disabilities had to fight for the inclusion of sign language as one of the official languages in the country.
“We are, however, elated that that fight was finally won and is also an indication that though the wheels are turning slowly, there is movement in these matters.”
