Community talks about living with a disability
RABIE RIDGE – The community of Kanana engaged with Ward 80 Councillor and the Department of Social Development about living with disabilities.
Councillor Makgoba Pagadi of Ward 80 in Rabie Ridge and the Department of Social Development invited community members of Kanana to have honest conversations about living with a disability or a disabled person.
The disability awareness meeting was attended by staff of Witkoppen Clinic who were there to help community members find out their HIV status. Also present were members of the Gauteng Province Legislature and South African Social Services Agency to assist community members with any grant issues, and City of Johannesburg Disability Unit and Rabie Ridge Clinic representatives.
handicapped mentally and physically at the
disability awareness meeting. Photo: Ofentse Ditlopo
Sibahle Walaza of the Department of Social Development said the three most common causes of disability in children because of negligence were fetal alcohol syndrome, failing to get prenatal checkups and not getting your child immunised against polio. “We want to appeal to the community and let women who drink while pregnant know that pregnancy and alcohol do not go together. We would not be living in a community where the kids are born disabled because of fetal alcohol syndrome,” she said. “When women are pregnant but do not go for check-ups, a child gets born with a disability or problem which could have been picked up and avoided by doctors. [For example] polio, this normally happens when parents do not take the kids to get immunisation and then the child becomes disabled.”
welcomes community members and
stakeholders at the meeting. Photo: Ofentse Ditlopo
Walaza also raised the issue of parents locking their disabled children in their houses because they were embarrassed by them. “There are special daycare centres where the kids can be developed and be taken care of. Locking children inside the house makes them miss opportunities which could change their lives.” Charlene Mushidi, who is an environmental health practitioner for the City of Johannesburg and is living with a disability after being shot gave advice to attendees. “One thing I would like to tell to a person who has just been told that they are disabled is to take time to understand themselves or their condition so you do not be swayed away from taking care of yourself and taking your medication because someone said something else could help you,” she said.
Social Development addresses issues that
lead to disability at the meeting
“All I want to say to people is embrace your life. Whatever it is that you go through, deal with it. I might be disabled and you can see it, but some of us have weaknesses that disable us.”
Related Article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/205694/enable-those-who-need-it/
