#IMadeMyMark: Advocating for people with disabilities
Casual Day an initiative by the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) is just as old as our democracy, we spoke to the organisation about their evolution in parallel with 25 years of democracy.
The organisers of Casual Day are celebrating 25 years of making a positive impact on the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities.
The initiative is held by the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), an organisation which is turning 80 this year.
NCPD advocates for people living with disabilities and has years of successful service delivery in that field.
Casual Day was conceptualised at the dawn of South Africa’s new democracy, and since its inception it has continued to support more than 500 schools and organisations of and for people with disabilities.
Locally, the organisation has been involved with Germiston South Primary School, providing assistance to the school for four years, and they have also assisted centres for children with disabilities and private individuals with their specific needs, such as assistive devices, nappies and wheelchairs, for the past 20 years.
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The GCN spoke to the NCPD to find out how they navigate through the voting season.
“The IEC circulated the correct procedure to follow for registering for special votes to all national organisations working with people with disabilities and I have seen many posts on their social media so as to get the word out as soon as possible,” said Therina Wentzel-du Toit, national director at NCPD.
“This information was not advertised on billboards and lamp posts the same way that the dates for general voter registration were publicised.
“I’m not aware of any radio or television informational broadcast that provides voter registration information, let alone registration for special votes.”
As they push for new heights in their area of business, the organisation revealed how it has been able to evolve in an ever-changing society.
“Perhaps the largest influence for the changing society is legislation protecting the rights of people with disabilities which came into effect in 1994, most notably the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015,” said Therina.
“This has given us support in lobbying and advocating for human rights for people with disabilities.”
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According to Therina, much has been done and continues to be done to accommodate people with disabilities, but the need is tremendous, so society needs to accelerate the provision of reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities in all communities.
Therina added: “NCPD is apolitical and does not align with any political party.
“We have advised on the way in which voters with disabilities can register for special votes, but we don’t advertise manifestos nor do we lobby for political parties to our beneficiaries.”
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