Disability conference to map out plan for jobs

Image courtesy of njaj / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The two-day conference, hosted by the North West Provincial Government through the Office on the Status of Persons with Disabilities (OSPD), will start on 30 January.

During the conference people with disabilities will be offered a platform to share their experiences with all sectors and map the way forward on how their challenges could be addressed.

Speaking ahead of the conference, North West Premier Thandi Modise said: "We are confident that delegates at this conference will emerge with a clear plan that will enable the province to accelerate implementation of the revised Job-Access Plan, which is targeting employment of over 1,200 additional people with disabilities by the provincial administration within the next seven months."

She said the conference will also endeavour to create alignment between Disability Plans and the National Development Plan (NDP) and generate a Five-Year Disability Rights Plan for the province.

The NDP acknowledges that many persons with disabilities are not able to develop to their full potential due to various barriers, resulting in them often being viewed as being unproductive and a burden.

The NDP also highlights physical, educational, communication and attitudinal barriers as challenges that need to be addressed.

The conference, which will be attended by all major provincial role players, is scheduled to be held at Mmabatho Convention Centre, Mahikeng.