The inclusion of people living with disabilities should not be a topic addressed only once a year during International Disability Month. This is the view expressed by Goodwin Thomas, treasurer of the Perseverance Disabled Group of Dikgatlong.
Benida Phillips – Diamond Fields Advertiser
THE INCLUSION of people living with disabilities should not be a topic addressed only once a year during International Disability Month.
This was the view expressed by Goodwin Thomas, treasurer of the Perseverance Disabled Group of Dikgatlong.
Thomas, a paraplegic who works as a paramedic, said people with disabilities often face unnecessary challenges to be recognised as equal citizens. It was this reality that led to the establishment of the Perseverance Disabled Group.
“We realised that there are many disabled people in our town who are left at home with nothing to do. Disabled people are hardly included in the employment programmes of government. One finds that out of 200 people who are employed on a project,only two out that number are people living with disabilities. We have never seen a programme where half of the people employed on a programme are disabled. Disabled people are excluded from mainstream economic opportunities,” said Thomas.
“Through this realisation, we formed our NGO, which assists local schools with gardening services. The programme has since its inception included more than 40 people living with disabilities.”
Thomas said some community members treat disabled people as if they are already dead, disregarding their value and potential while they are still alive.
“People living with disabilities are at times not regarded as normal beings with the same needs and frustrations as other people. We also want to be included in economic activities and earn a salary. It is sad that a child living with a disability will be dependent on a government social grant for the rest of their life. Nothing is being done to explore the interests and skills of these children as they are already viewed as not being capable of being skilful.
“The career fields that are allocated to youngsters living with disabilities are hard labour. We all want to have a comfortable job where we sit in an office and earn a decent living. However, that right is withheld for the disabled as we are mostly allocated jobs where we have either manufactured products, such as beads and chairs or bricks, and are not exposed to working on a computer.”
He said their programme not only provides members with a salary but also fosters a sense of inclusion and belonging within society.
“We give them a salary on top of their social grant. There are many of our members who are the sole breadwinners in their home. The salary they get is able to complement their social grant and alleviate the economic pressure experienced in that home.
“It is not merely about the money, but also to give members a purpose in life. We all feel depressed and down when we are not working. This programme allows our members to look forward to the day and also stimulates their minds. They get to interact with people instead of being left alone at home and having to watch others get ready for work.
“It is not just our physical state that deteriorates when we are left in isolation, but our mental state can also suffer.’
Thomas called on the government to urgently address the inclusion of people with disabilities in economic and employment opportunities.
“The focus on people living with disabilities cannot only be highlighted when Disability Month or Casual Day are commemorated. The struggles that disabled people face are continuous and every day. There are some government departments that are inaccessible for people with disabilities.
“The government preaches that they want to include people with disabilities in employment opportunities, yet many do not even have a ramp for a wheelchair or the space for a wheelchair to move. There are no sign language interpreters employed at their offices and who can assist the deaf?
“Yet, when days for disability are commemorated, then one will see them go and recruit disabled people to attend their programmes. Afterwards, those people are again forgotten the moment that the programme has concluded,” Thomas said.
