GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR DISABLED MUST INCREASE

Issued by: Office of the President

MINISTRY IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

December 3, 1995

GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR DISABLED PEOPLE MUST INCREASE

Government funds flowing to programmes supporting disabled people in South Africa should be increased to reflect, at the very least, the size of the disabled population, according to RDP Office Disability Desk director Shuaib Chalklen.

"Estimates put the disabled population between five per cent and 12 per cent. It is not unreasonable to expect that they should benefit from between five per cent and 12 per cent of the budgetary allocations to departments," he says.

At present, very few line function departments allocate budgets to disability-related programmes. "And people with disabilities very seldom benefited from broader sectoral programmes due to various barriers and constraints," Chalklen says.

At present, only six government departments make provision for specific disability-related programmes. These include

• Dept. of Health - rehabilitation, prevention, rehabilitation, assertive devices;
• Dept. of Welfare and - grants (disability and special care); Population Development social care; programmes (subsidisation of councils); care of disabled;
• Dept. of Education - specialised education, special schools, and Training remedial services;
• Dept. of Labour - disabled wage subsidy scheme; placement services; bursary scheme; sheltered factories; newsletter to generate awareness;
• Dept. Environment - SATOUR Affairs and Tourism
• Dept. Public Works - access in public buildings

"Disabilities cut across various departments and this needs to be reflected in budgetary spending to transform the present situation whereby a few departments carry the responsibility," Chalklen says.

This could impact on the departments of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Housing; Sport and Recreation; Justice; Public Service and Administration; Trade and Industry; SA Communications Services and Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting, he says.

"For example, Justice could introduce interpreters services in courts and the Department of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting can introduce telephone services for disabled people and the Department of Sport could have sport development programmes," he says.

The Ministry in the Office of the President (Reconstruction and Development Programme) should be responsible for the National Coordinating Committee on Disability, its provincial counterparts and operational budgets; disability-related Presidential Lead Projects; and monitoring.

Additional funds would need to be set aside for the co-ordination of planning and monitoring.

"RDP funds should not be viewed as a separate source of funding. It is a mechanism to act as leverage to bring about change in government spending patterns. Past neglect in disability-related spending needs to be corrected within the line functions, with assistance from the RDP fund," Chalklen says.

ISSUED BY: Mandy Jean Woods Director: Communications Ministry in the Office of the President (Reconstruction and Development Programme)

Phone: (012) 341-5569 Fax: (012) 341-5569 ext 203 Pager: (011) 804-2777 code 71799

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT MANDY JEAN WOODS OR SHUAIB CHALKLEN AT THE RDP OFFICE IN PRETORIA.