On 26 August, the Minister of Social Development met with the Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities to refine a draft policy on service provision for persons with disabilities. The discussion focused on mainstreaming services across the social development sector from national to district level.
According to the Department of Social Development, the policy aligns with the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and South Africa’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was developed through extensive consultation with the disability sector under the principle “Nothing about us without us”.
Both departments endorsed the direction of travel and tasked officials to collaborate on strengthening specific areas before the proposal goes to Cabinet. Government frames the work as a step towards a consistent delivery model that advances constitutional rights for persons with disabilities.
