Joburg celebrates Disability Day
08 December 2017
City of Johannesburg buildings that do not have restrooms that accommodate people with disabilities have to be overhauled so that the municipality does not “Leave No One Behind”.
Speaking at the International Disability Day held by the City of Johannesburg’s Group Corporate and Shared Services’s Employment Equity and Transformation Office on Friday, 08 December 2017, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services Cllr Ntombi Khumalo said persons with disabilities have been excluded from the mainstream of society and continue to experience difficulty in accessing fundamental rights.
“As the leadership of the City of Johannesburg, we acknowledge that disability is a key priority that requires special attention. In my office for example, I have an intern. The bathrooms we have cannot fit even the smallest wheelchair. Now imagine if it was you facing this kind of struggle on a daily basis,” said MMC Khumalo.
To realise some of the objectives and bring everyone on board under the theme “Leaving No One Behind”, the City of Johannesburg was urging all departments to commit to providing the necessary support to people with disabilities with mentorship, coaching and any other necessary tools of trade required to enable them thrive.
“We are also ensuring that the recruitment processes are accessible to them compared to other applicants with the same educational qualifications. The City must therefore continuously improve the contractual obligations with the recruitment agencies to support and encourage applications from people with disabilities,” concluded MMC Khumalo.
The annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. It aims to promote the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of on the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.