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NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US
DISABLED PEOPLE SOUTH AFRICA

• DISABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
• PREPARED BY MUZI NKOSI DPSA CHAIRPERSON

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INTRODUCTION

• The majority of people with disabilities pwds,
  in South Africa, has been excluded from the
  mainstream of society and has been prevented from
  accessing fundamental social, political and
  economical rights.

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INTRODUCTION

• The low level of understanding of disability as a
  human rights and development issue by policy
  makers and service providers lead to the
  exclusion of pwds from developmental process
  despite the political will to redress the abuse
  of human rights the disabled community faced in
  the past.

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DISABILITY TARGET

• Government set itself the target in 2000 during
  the NEDLAC job summit. Stating that by 2005 2
  of the workforce would be people with
  disabilities.
• The Disability sector does not believe in quotas,
  we only agreed because we could measure whether
  government is going to deliver on employment of
  people with disabilities.

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DISABILITY TARGET

• Our believe is that people with disabilities
  should be employed equitable with other people
  and not be subjected to numbers
• Today in 2012 the target is far from being
  reached, only 0.009 has been met, despite the
  political will on our side

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Why departments and private sector dont meet the
2 target?

• Lack of knowledge about disability by Director
  Generals still viewing disability with the
  medical model, were we are still regarded as sick
  and things needed to be done for us
• KPI on disability delivery should be assigned to
  the Director Generals to enforce legislation

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Why departments and private sector dont meet the
2 target?

• Government and private are chasing numbers and
  not suitably qualified candidates.
• Not working together with the disability sector
  nothing about us without us
• EEA of 1998 advocating for our employment but
  does not acknowledge how are we going to reach
  the area og employment

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Why departments and private sector dont meet the
2 target?

• Lack of policy on accessible public transport in
  SA
• Department working in solos the DCWDP establish
  will be a dumping ground for disability.
• Government and private sector need to conduct
  five steps to ensure that people with
  disabilities are comprehensively included in the
  mainstream

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FIVE STEPS

• The five 5 approaches to disability will assist
  Departments / Companies in their attempt to
  address disability issues with the view to
  support and increase the intake of people with
  disabilities in the work place in line with
  equity legislations.

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1 DISABILITY SENSITIZATION

• To conduct disability sensitization workshops for
  all personnel. The aim is to assist all staff to
  have a better understanding of disability issues
  and be able to view disability as a human rights
  and developmental issue.
•  Secondly, the workshop will assist your
  organization with disability disclosure, whereby
  people will easily disclose their disability
  without fear of being discriminated.

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2 WORK PLACE PROFILE

• Development of a workplace profile gives a brief
  understanding of how a organization, division and
  the units are constituted. That is, it clearly
  outlines the total number of employees including
  employees with disabilities, types of
  disabilities it stipulates clearly the issue of
  rank, race, gender and disability.
•  It also outlines the occupational categories and
  different kinds of services rendered and also
  give an insight of how the organization manages
  its staff turn over, promotion, retention, career
  development, recruitment, disciplinary action and
  skills development.

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3 POLICY AN STRATEGY

• Development of the Human Resource strategy and a
  disability policy that is in line with your
  organizations internal policy and also with
  equity legislations. The development of a
  disability management strategy document and its
  objectives being
• To ensure that people with disabilities have
  equal opportunities in the workplace
• To improve employment prospects for people with
  disabilities by facilitating recruitment, return
  to work, job retention and opportunities for
  advancement

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POLICY AND STRATEGY

• To promote a safe, accessible and healthy
  workplace
• To assure that employer costs associated with
  disability among employees are minimized
  including health care and insurance payments, in
  some instances
• To maximize the contribution which workers with
  disabilities can make to the company

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4 DISABILITY ACCESS AUDITS

• Review of job requirements and possibilities for
  reasonable accommodations, such as the office
  furniture and space for moving around in offices
  or other workplaces.
• Review of existing accommodations implemented
  taking into consideration different kinds of
  disabilities and how these could be reasonably
  accommodated

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DISABILITY ACCESS AUDITS

• Review of all facilities on location such as
  administration offices, canteens, toilets and
  bathrooms, health centre, recreation facilities,
  entrances and inside of buildings, meeting places
  e.g. halls, and access to the location by
  different means of transport. Some of the
  specific aspects that will be assessed include
  corridors, lifts, door handles, stairs,
  handrails, door width, use of revolving doors,
  high counters, parking space, accessibility of
  public telephones and other office equipment, and
  so on.

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DISABILITY ACCESS AUDITS

• Review the whole area of work in terms of slopes
  or steep hills and if the need for ramps
• Review emergency exits and fire drills (e.g.
  flashing fire warning lights for Deaf persons)
  and proper signage
• Review of the safety committee and their training
  and plan regarding safety of disabled people.
  This will include fire marshals, first aid
  personnel, and so on.

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5 RECRUITMENT

• The principle of non-discrimination should be
  respected throughout the recruitment process, to
  ensure maximum benefit to the employer and
  equitable opportunity for candidates with and
  without disabilities.
•  

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RECRUITMENT

• Employer could, for example, include a statement
  about commitment to equal opportunity in their
  recruitment procedures an in job advertisement,
• Use a logo to signal that such a policy is in
  force within the organization, specifically
  invite applications from people with
  disabilities, and
• State that candidates will be considered solely
  on the basis of their abilities.

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Conclusion

• For further elaboration on these steps, we are
  willing to assist the departments and we
  therefore proposing a meeting with the Minister
  to address these issues

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THANK YOU