Council honours people with disabilities
The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) joined hands with a number of organisations to present a work preparation workshop for persons with disabilities under the age of 35.
The training sessions, which were held at the NCPD training facility in Edenvale, were attended by 22 job seekers from across Gauteng. Electronic giant Samsung funded the event with other top companies including insurer Momentum, global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright and the Agricultural Research Council, provided facilitators for the workshop’s top-level interactive sessions.
A range of topics were covered that included financial literacy, self-esteem, interview conducting and communication skills, disability equity training and disability equity, among others.
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After the conclusion of the workshop, the participants received certificates of attendance. They expressed great appreciation for the workshop and the facilitators, singling out its interactive nature, and the value of the programme offerings. These include communication and computer skills, financial literacy and empowerment skills.
The participants also appreciated learning about disability rights and responsibilities and the insights offered around various kinds of disabilities.
The organisers also expressed their appreciation of the participants who made it to the programme.
“We are fortunate to have the most amazing diverse group, excellent job candidates with various sets of skills and experience. It is such a privilege to offer such candidates to prospective employers, especially with the workshop providing the surety that our candidates are indeed ready to walk into a job,” said Therina Wentzel-du Toit, national director of the NCPD.
Ernu van der Westhuizen, senior manager: programmes and funding, said the workshops form part of the NCPD’s inclusive employment programme. “This programme covers a wide spectrum, including recruitment, disability equity training in the workplace, reasonable accommodation and workplace policy support as well as universal and access workplace audits,” he said
Van der Westhuizen added that the workshop was a great success. “We are grateful for the sponsorship which ensured that we were able to provide attendees with a nutritious meal every day, as well as a sign language interpreters and accessible transport,” she said, adding that the NCPD wants to join hands with companies willing to sponsor the next workshop as well as employers who have taken a decision to employ persons with disabilities.
“Sponsors can either get BBBEE points or an 18 A certificate, depending on how the funding and contract are sponsored,” he said.
Wentzel-du Toit said the NCPD hopes that companies and other sponsors will increasingly join hands in supporting the rights of persons with disabilities in line with sustainable development goal of the Integrated National Disability Strategy.
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“By working together, we will not only take the careers of persons with disabilities forward and help to resolve the unemployment crisis, but we hope to simultaneously raise the levels of understanding, compassion and cooperation of the whole country,” she concluded.
