South Africans are urged to celebrate Casual Day on Friday, 1 September.
The annual campaign is aimed at raising awareness and funds for people with disabilities,with the theme for this year’s event calling on the public to “celebrate diversity with persons with disabilities.”
Casual Day was launched in 1995 as an awareness and fundraising project to benefit persons with disabilities. A key goal of Casual Day is to build a society that not only embraces diversity, but actively celebrates it. The rights of all people in the country, including people with disabilities, are enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution, which affirms the values of human dignity, equality and freedom for everyone.
Justene Smith, Progression’s Disability Specialist, said that by participating in Casual Day, South Africans are supporting people with disabilities of all kinds. “Among other things, Casual Day encourages the public to contribute financially through a small donation of R10 for a sticker, and at the same time lobbies for the full integration of people with disabilities into mainstream society. Not only does it raise much needed funds, it also raises awareness of this segment of our society that is often overlooked.”
Since the Casual Day campaign was launched 22 years ago, it has raised over R200 million for the project’s national beneficiaries. This year’s theme gives South Africans the opportunity to showcase who they really are and what they celebrate most. It could mean wearing national dress, sporting a favourite soccer team’s colours or just strutting one’s stuff in a fabulously fashionable outfit.
Smith points out that the trick is to do it all with a splash of green. “The green is to remind us of summer grass, positive growth, hope, fun and enjoying who we all are – in other words, celebrating our diversity.”
How can individuals and organisations participate?
There are many ways to take part in the upcoming Casual Day. Stickers can be purchased for R10 each on the Casual Day website or at the various participating stores and people can dress up on Casual Day to showcase their uniqueness. They just need to remember to add a little green.
Smith concluded, “It is important to remember that underpinning the fun of Casual Day is the main objective: to raise awareness of persons with disabilities. Progression aims to use Casual Day as a platform to highlight the dire shortfall of people with disabilities represented in the South African workplace.”
DID YOU KNOW:
• Statistics SA estimated in 2016 that there were about 4,3 million South Africans living with disabilities.
• Casual Day, owned by the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities, is one of South Africa’s oldest and biggest fundraising campaigns and is aimed at raising money and creating awareness about persons with disabilities.
• On Casual Day, South Africans are encouraged to go to work dressed differently and to wear the Casual Day sticker to show their support for persons with disabilities. While Casual Day is in September it is never too early to begin being more inclusive and celebrating our society’s diversity.
• Casual Day stickers can be ordered direct from the NCPD – visit their website at www.casualday.co.za [https://www.casualday.co.za/get-your-stickers/] and be sure to ‘like’ Casual Day on Facebook.
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