‘Time to Shine with Persons with Disabilities’ has been announced as the theme for Casual Day 2019.
This year the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities’ (NCPD) flagship project and advocacy campaign is celebrating 25 years.
‘Casual Day is about standing up for human rights as much as it’s about raising money.
‘It’s about getting people to talk about inclusive policies and to demand an equitable, accessible world for persons with disabilities,’ the NCDP says.
National Director Therina Wentzel-DuToit said 2019 is the year to shine brighter than ever and ‘to inspire the world to shine with us’.
‘The last 25 years of Casual Day have shown that there is no limit to the brilliance that’s created when South Africans unite behind a cause like this.’
Visiting the Northern Cape, Limpopo and Free State recently, Wentzel-DuToit said: ‘I am completely in awe of what Casual Day funds have achieved in these provinces, and for that matter all over South Africa.
‘We have skills development centres where there were none before. These centres are giving persons with disabilities a means to earn a living, support their families and contribute to the economy.
‘We have persons with disabilities who now have the means to engage in broader society. We are seeing more and more buildings that are accessible and workplaces that are inclusive, all thanks to money raised on Casual Day.’
However, Wentzel-DuToit acknowledged that while much has been achieved through this campaign, more still needed to be done.
‘South Africa must create public spaces and products that are completely accessible to both persons with, and without, disabilities. We need equity and accessibility at our schools, tertiary campuses and workplaces.
‘We need public transport that works for everybody.
‘This is the only way to ensure that the human rights of persons with disabilities receive the attention they deserve.
‘To get this work done, Casual Day needs the support of all South Africans.’
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