Date: 16/07/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Launch of Gauteng government's disability strategy
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA AT THE LAUNCH OF THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT'S DISABILITY STRATEGY, Johannesburg, 16 July 2003
Chairperson
Minister Essop Pahad
Members of the disability movement
MECs
Distinguished Guests
Often we talk about our country as being a rainbow nation to illustrate the diverse nature of our society. In general we refer to the diversity in terms of culture, beliefs and practices. There is another aspect of diversity, which we seldom talk about - ability.
One of the challenges that we have to urgently deal with as we endeavour to build a new nation that is free from all forms of discrimination is the practice that discriminates against our people on the basis of their ability or lack of it.
Let me share with you a story that was published in The Star yesterday, sourced from the Daily Mail, a London newspaper. It reads:
A theme park worker with a paralysed arm is expecting a six-figure compensation payout after his bosses gave him a Lego figure with its arm in a sling.
Rob Jenkins (32) was one of 58 workers at Legoland given a 7,5cm tall plastic model for long service. The Danish firm's scheme rewards staff with figurines, which relate to their job at the Windsor attraction.
Jenkins' present had as its only identifying feature the sling - which, to add insult to injury, had been placed on the wrong arm.
Jenkins, an attractions team leader, claimed the present "re-triggered" the deep depression he felt when he was injured in a motorbike accident 16 years ago. He claimed he was rendered housebound, kept off work for nine months and forced to seek counselling.
The former employee has now won a claim for disability discrimination against the theme park and expects to be awarded at least R124 000 for injury to feelings and loss of earnings.
Jenkins, of Sonning Common, Berkshire, said: "I received the model at a ceremony with other colleagues. Everyone else's model related to their work - employees who worked in the gardens got a figure with a spade and people who worked in catering got one with a chopping board.
"When I got mine, I was shocked and disgusted with it. Disabled people shouldn't be treated differently.
"I went back to work for two days after the event, but I thought everyone was looking at me. I was getting deeper and deeper into depression.
"For two or three months I couldn't go out. When you take years to get used to your handicap, it is very hard when someone comes along and smacks you in the face like that. I didn't want to work for a firm that would treat its staff in that way."
When he was declared fit to return to work in January last year, he told bosses at Legoland he could never work there again because of the "humiliation of being singled out as disabled" and began legal proceedings.
Jenkins, now a golf course green keeper, failed to prove discrimination at a first tribunal in August, but won on appeal earlier this month.
The appeal tribunal said Jenkins' Lego figurine could have been shown with a team leader's walkie-talkie, rather than the sling.
This story tells us of the humiliation and indignity that many of our people who have disabilities suffer on a daily basis.
We are launching our policy framework to send a clear message to all the people of Gauteng that people with disabilities have equal rights, which should be respected by all.
This launch is an affirmation and consolidation of the work we are doing as the Gauteng Provincial Government to make the rights of the people with disability real..
President Thabo Mbeki wrote in the foreword to the White Paper on the Integrated National Disability Strategy: "Among the yardsticks by which to measure a society's respect for human rights, to evaluate the level of it's maturity and its generosity of spirit, is by looking at the status that it accords to those members of society who are most vulnerable, disabled people, the senior citizens and its children."
Our disability policy rests on the following pillars:
Firstly, we should work to prevent disabilities from occurring. Causes of disabilities include road accidents, violence, poverty, lack of information, failure of medical services, unhealthy lifestyles, environmental and social factors.
Many of our government programmes seek to alleviate these causes through programmes such as immunisation, road safety, social crime prevention and public education, especially among parents and children, about the hazards of fire and poisons. We have programmes to protect our children from preventable illnesses and injury and foster a healthy environment for their optimal development.
We will continue to promote healthy lifestyles and provide effective care that fosters optimal productivity of people at work and our economy. Together we should continue to focus our initiatives to reduce the disease burden of those vulnerable groups in our society as they have greater challenges of overcoming poverty and unemployment.
Secondly, we are committed to non-discrimination against people with disabilities.
It has been estimated that one in four of our population either has a disability or has a close friend or relative who has a disability. Given that disability is such a common phenomenon, it is paradoxical that our society has not yet been able to come to terms with issues relating to it.
Disability and illness often evoke extreme reactions. At times people with disabilities have been used by society to portray ignorance, fear, helplessness and impotence. Some of the words in the English language that describe people with disabilities have derogatory meanings. For example, handicap comes from 'cap in hand' meaning someone who begs.
Yet people with disabilities are normal people. Encountering disabilities is part of normal life. Some people with disabilities can teach us important lessons in life about perseverance, dedication and commitment to life.
Thirdly, we believe that the discriminatory aspects and attitudes of society render our people disabled. Society can hinder an individual's performance because it either creates barriers by constructing buildings that are inaccessible to people with disabilities or fails to provide facilitators.
Our focus therefore is on how to create a barrier free society - how to ensure that no physical, attitudinal nor environmental barriers exist to prevent people with disabilities from exercising their rights and responsibilities.
Often we are not aware of the most serious environmental barriers. For example when we do not maintain our sidewalks and pavements, we prevent people who use wheel chairs, prams and sticks from moving freely.
As we move on to bridge the digital divide we should do so in a manner that allows people with disabilities to benefit from the on-going ICT revolution. Our websites and other facilities, hardware and software, should be accessible to all the people.
Fourthly and related to the above point, we are committed to mainstream our commitment to people with disabilities. While recognising that special steps are needed to remove barriers and ensure equality, as far as possible we do not seek to set up separate programmes but rather to ensure that the removal of barriers are given attention in all our policies and programmes.
Lastly, within this context we recognize the need to care for people with disabilities, particularly those that are severely disabled until such time as society as a whole has overcome the prejudice and all barriers have been removed so that people with disabilities can participate in the same way as everybody else. In this regards our social security programme is important.
I believe we have a proud track record. There is no international convention on disability as there is to protect the rights of children and women. However during the Decade of Disabled Persons in 1994, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the set of Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
We have compared some of the most important rules with the policy that was outlined earlier and our track record, and I believe that we comply with them.
Within our schools we run education programmes to highlight prevention measures and to generate a positive attitude towards people with disabilities. The programmes include sensitisation workshops and training for teachers.
The Department of Health has in place many programmes to prevent, reduce or eliminate disabling conditions. These include immunisation, early screening and detection among children, cataracts removal and others. About 700 staff members are employed in the therapeutic and rehabilitation fields.
I am pleased to announce that 90% of our health facilities are now accessible to people who are physically disabled. I am proud to say that there is no wheelchair backlog in this province. Since coming into office nine years ago, our government has provided a total of 6 020 wheelchairs, buggies, hearing aids and walking aids. We are the first province to provide two mouth-operated wheelchairs to two disabled people in the townships.
As from 1 April 2003, all health care services became free to people on disability grants in line with the President's call. More money is being made available for wheelchairs, artificial limbs and strengthening wheelchair repair workshops.
We will continue with our efforts to prevent blindness among our people by performing cataract surgery and cornea transplants to give hope to many people. Since 1999, we have saved the sight of 27 053 people through our cataract operations, while more than 100 corneal transplants have been carried out.
This year, we have dedicated R3.5 million for the implementation of the new Mental Health Act to ensure that people with mental illness receive the care and treatment they need in a conducive environment. Since 1995, the total amount spent on mental health care services in the province is R441 million.
In respect of support services we provide wheel chairs, glasses, hearing aids and other assistive devises through the Departments of Health and Education.
In respect of accessibility we have prioritised government buildings that need to be accessible to members of the public. All GPG buildings in Johannesburg are now user friendly for people with disabilities. Work is under way in the rest of the province. Landlords are obliged to comply in all new buildings.
Obviously we need to do more and we are committed to achieve the 100% mark as soon as we can, bearing in mind that in some areas we do not own but lease buildings from the private sector. In this regard I would like to make a call to the private sector to follow our example and ensure that their buildings are accessible to all. This does not only include ramps but also sound bites in lifts saying: Second floor, going up!
In respect of education we continue to increase access to people with disabilities. Later this year, we will be opening some schools which have been transformed into resource centres whilst maintaining their teaching and learning function. Also on our agenda for this financial year is the conversion of three ordinary public schools into full service schools.
A recent study conducted by the HSRC on behalf of the Office of the Premier indicates that there is a weakness in the care of children with mild to moderate disabilities. This is an area which will be addressed as we roll out our policy of inclusive education.
In respect of employment, this is not a provincial competency in the broad sense. However, as an employer we are committed to the employment of people with disabilities. Again, I would urge fellow employers in the private sector to put in place recruitment processes that enable them to reach out to all sectors of the labour market.
We have made significant progress in providing social security for those people with disability in need. As of December 2002, approximately 70 000 people were receiving the disability grants and 5 000 were receiving the care dependency grant for children with severe disability.
And in respect of culture and sport we have programmes to build accessible sport facilities. We also have programmes that allow for participation in sport, art and culture by people with disabilities. Further work is required to extend the scale of these programmes.
Today we have shared with you our policy and approach. We have shown you what we are doing in the Gauteng Provincial Government and reiterated our commitment to do more.
One of the slogans of the movement of people with disabilities in South Africa is "Nothing about us, without us". We embrace this slogan.
Our policy makes provision for institutional arrangements including a forum with organisations involved in the disability movement. As we go forward I hope that this forum becomes an important place for you to monitor and give us feedback on our policies and programme.
Let us go forward with a deepened commitment to overcome attitudinal barriers. Let us appreciate the strengths that people with disabilities have as individuals, rather than their limitations. Let us avoid stereotypes, assumptions, myths and misconceptions.
Together we can change the attitudes of our society, restore the dignity and respect the rights of people with disabilities.
I thank you.
Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government
16 July 2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Launch of Gauteng government's disability strategy
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA AT THE LAUNCH OF THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT'S DISABILITY STRATEGY, Johannesburg, 16 July 2003
Chairperson
Minister Essop Pahad
Members of the disability movement
MECs
Distinguished Guests
Often we talk about our country as being a rainbow nation to illustrate the diverse nature of our society. In general we refer to the diversity in terms of culture, beliefs and practices. There is another aspect of diversity, which we seldom talk about - ability.
One of the challenges that we have to urgently deal with as we endeavour to build a new nation that is free from all forms of discrimination is the practice that discriminates against our people on the basis of their ability or lack of it.
Let me share with you a story that was published in The Star yesterday, sourced from the Daily Mail, a London newspaper. It reads:
A theme park worker with a paralysed arm is expecting a six-figure compensation payout after his bosses gave him a Lego figure with its arm in a sling.
Rob Jenkins (32) was one of 58 workers at Legoland given a 7,5cm tall plastic model for long service. The Danish firm's scheme rewards staff with figurines, which relate to their job at the Windsor attraction.
Jenkins' present had as its only identifying feature the sling - which, to add insult to injury, had been placed on the wrong arm.
Jenkins, an attractions team leader, claimed the present "re-triggered" the deep depression he felt when he was injured in a motorbike accident 16 years ago. He claimed he was rendered housebound, kept off work for nine months and forced to seek counselling.
The former employee has now won a claim for disability discrimination against the theme park and expects to be awarded at least R124 000 for injury to feelings and loss of earnings.
Jenkins, of Sonning Common, Berkshire, said: "I received the model at a ceremony with other colleagues. Everyone else's model related to their work - employees who worked in the gardens got a figure with a spade and people who worked in catering got one with a chopping board.
"When I got mine, I was shocked and disgusted with it. Disabled people shouldn't be treated differently.
"I went back to work for two days after the event, but I thought everyone was looking at me. I was getting deeper and deeper into depression.
"For two or three months I couldn't go out. When you take years to get used to your handicap, it is very hard when someone comes along and smacks you in the face like that. I didn't want to work for a firm that would treat its staff in that way."
When he was declared fit to return to work in January last year, he told bosses at Legoland he could never work there again because of the "humiliation of being singled out as disabled" and began legal proceedings.
Jenkins, now a golf course green keeper, failed to prove discrimination at a first tribunal in August, but won on appeal earlier this month.
The appeal tribunal said Jenkins' Lego figurine could have been shown with a team leader's walkie-talkie, rather than the sling.
This story tells us of the humiliation and indignity that many of our people who have disabilities suffer on a daily basis.
We are launching our policy framework to send a clear message to all the people of Gauteng that people with disabilities have equal rights, which should be respected by all.
This launch is an affirmation and consolidation of the work we are doing as the Gauteng Provincial Government to make the rights of the people with disability real..
President Thabo Mbeki wrote in the foreword to the White Paper on the Integrated National Disability Strategy: "Among the yardsticks by which to measure a society's respect for human rights, to evaluate the level of it's maturity and its generosity of spirit, is by looking at the status that it accords to those members of society who are most vulnerable, disabled people, the senior citizens and its children."
Our disability policy rests on the following pillars:
Firstly, we should work to prevent disabilities from occurring. Causes of disabilities include road accidents, violence, poverty, lack of information, failure of medical services, unhealthy lifestyles, environmental and social factors.
Many of our government programmes seek to alleviate these causes through programmes such as immunisation, road safety, social crime prevention and public education, especially among parents and children, about the hazards of fire and poisons. We have programmes to protect our children from preventable illnesses and injury and foster a healthy environment for their optimal development.
We will continue to promote healthy lifestyles and provide effective care that fosters optimal productivity of people at work and our economy. Together we should continue to focus our initiatives to reduce the disease burden of those vulnerable groups in our society as they have greater challenges of overcoming poverty and unemployment.
Secondly, we are committed to non-discrimination against people with disabilities.
It has been estimated that one in four of our population either has a disability or has a close friend or relative who has a disability. Given that disability is such a common phenomenon, it is paradoxical that our society has not yet been able to come to terms with issues relating to it.
Disability and illness often evoke extreme reactions. At times people with disabilities have been used by society to portray ignorance, fear, helplessness and impotence. Some of the words in the English language that describe people with disabilities have derogatory meanings. For example, handicap comes from 'cap in hand' meaning someone who begs.
Yet people with disabilities are normal people. Encountering disabilities is part of normal life. Some people with disabilities can teach us important lessons in life about perseverance, dedication and commitment to life.
Thirdly, we believe that the discriminatory aspects and attitudes of society render our people disabled. Society can hinder an individual's performance because it either creates barriers by constructing buildings that are inaccessible to people with disabilities or fails to provide facilitators.
Our focus therefore is on how to create a barrier free society - how to ensure that no physical, attitudinal nor environmental barriers exist to prevent people with disabilities from exercising their rights and responsibilities.
Often we are not aware of the most serious environmental barriers. For example when we do not maintain our sidewalks and pavements, we prevent people who use wheel chairs, prams and sticks from moving freely.
As we move on to bridge the digital divide we should do so in a manner that allows people with disabilities to benefit from the on-going ICT revolution. Our websites and other facilities, hardware and software, should be accessible to all the people.
Fourthly and related to the above point, we are committed to mainstream our commitment to people with disabilities. While recognising that special steps are needed to remove barriers and ensure equality, as far as possible we do not seek to set up separate programmes but rather to ensure that the removal of barriers are given attention in all our policies and programmes.
Lastly, within this context we recognize the need to care for people with disabilities, particularly those that are severely disabled until such time as society as a whole has overcome the prejudice and all barriers have been removed so that people with disabilities can participate in the same way as everybody else. In this regards our social security programme is important.
I believe we have a proud track record. There is no international convention on disability as there is to protect the rights of children and women. However during the Decade of Disabled Persons in 1994, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the set of Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
We have compared some of the most important rules with the policy that was outlined earlier and our track record, and I believe that we comply with them.
Within our schools we run education programmes to highlight prevention measures and to generate a positive attitude towards people with disabilities. The programmes include sensitisation workshops and training for teachers.
The Department of Health has in place many programmes to prevent, reduce or eliminate disabling conditions. These include immunisation, early screening and detection among children, cataracts removal and others. About 700 staff members are employed in the therapeutic and rehabilitation fields.
I am pleased to announce that 90% of our health facilities are now accessible to people who are physically disabled. I am proud to say that there is no wheelchair backlog in this province. Since coming into office nine years ago, our government has provided a total of 6 020 wheelchairs, buggies, hearing aids and walking aids. We are the first province to provide two mouth-operated wheelchairs to two disabled people in the townships.
As from 1 April 2003, all health care services became free to people on disability grants in line with the President's call. More money is being made available for wheelchairs, artificial limbs and strengthening wheelchair repair workshops.
We will continue with our efforts to prevent blindness among our people by performing cataract surgery and cornea transplants to give hope to many people. Since 1999, we have saved the sight of 27 053 people through our cataract operations, while more than 100 corneal transplants have been carried out.
This year, we have dedicated R3.5 million for the implementation of the new Mental Health Act to ensure that people with mental illness receive the care and treatment they need in a conducive environment. Since 1995, the total amount spent on mental health care services in the province is R441 million.
In respect of support services we provide wheel chairs, glasses, hearing aids and other assistive devises through the Departments of Health and Education.
In respect of accessibility we have prioritised government buildings that need to be accessible to members of the public. All GPG buildings in Johannesburg are now user friendly for people with disabilities. Work is under way in the rest of the province. Landlords are obliged to comply in all new buildings.
Obviously we need to do more and we are committed to achieve the 100% mark as soon as we can, bearing in mind that in some areas we do not own but lease buildings from the private sector. In this regard I would like to make a call to the private sector to follow our example and ensure that their buildings are accessible to all. This does not only include ramps but also sound bites in lifts saying: Second floor, going up!
In respect of education we continue to increase access to people with disabilities. Later this year, we will be opening some schools which have been transformed into resource centres whilst maintaining their teaching and learning function. Also on our agenda for this financial year is the conversion of three ordinary public schools into full service schools.
A recent study conducted by the HSRC on behalf of the Office of the Premier indicates that there is a weakness in the care of children with mild to moderate disabilities. This is an area which will be addressed as we roll out our policy of inclusive education.
In respect of employment, this is not a provincial competency in the broad sense. However, as an employer we are committed to the employment of people with disabilities. Again, I would urge fellow employers in the private sector to put in place recruitment processes that enable them to reach out to all sectors of the labour market.
We have made significant progress in providing social security for those people with disability in need. As of December 2002, approximately 70 000 people were receiving the disability grants and 5 000 were receiving the care dependency grant for children with severe disability.
And in respect of culture and sport we have programmes to build accessible sport facilities. We also have programmes that allow for participation in sport, art and culture by people with disabilities. Further work is required to extend the scale of these programmes.
Today we have shared with you our policy and approach. We have shown you what we are doing in the Gauteng Provincial Government and reiterated our commitment to do more.
One of the slogans of the movement of people with disabilities in South Africa is "Nothing about us, without us". We embrace this slogan.
Our policy makes provision for institutional arrangements including a forum with organisations involved in the disability movement. As we go forward I hope that this forum becomes an important place for you to monitor and give us feedback on our policies and programme.
Let us go forward with a deepened commitment to overcome attitudinal barriers. Let us appreciate the strengths that people with disabilities have as individuals, rather than their limitations. Let us avoid stereotypes, assumptions, myths and misconceptions.
Together we can change the attitudes of our society, restore the dignity and respect the rights of people with disabilities.
I thank you.
Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government
16 July 2003
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