07 Dec 2016

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration says Batswana’s attitude towards people living with disabilities (PLWDs) is changing for the better.

Mr Thato Kwerepe said during National Disability Day in Kanye recently that the steady, but positive societal attitude helped embrace personality with disability.

“There is therefore an urgent need to continue to raise awareness to promote social inclusion as well as to adapt a universal design to remove all barriers that impede all Batswana with disabilities to exercise their potential,” he said.

The Ngami lawmaker said the goals demonstrated government’s commitment to improve the quality of lives of PLWDs.

Among the goals was one that promoted extermination of poverty in all its manifest forms.

According to Mr Kwerepe, not only had government established poverty eradication programme but had gone a step further to bar vigorous assessment on people living with disabilities.

This, he said was part of the general affirmative action programme to support PLWDs.

“To date, 140 people with disabilities have benefitted from small stock, Tswana chicken and borehole drilling. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all is yet another of the 17 goals,” he said.

To this end a fully-fledged department with a mandate for special education was created in the then Ministry of Education and Skills Development to cater for the needs of learners with special needs, said Mr Kwerepe.

In addition, he noted that his ministry had tabled the revised national policy on disabilities before Parliament.

The policy, among others things, put a lot of emphasis on mainstreaming of disability in all sectors.

The ministry, he said had presented proposals on NDP 11 to the current sitting of parliament which include economic empowerment of PLWDs to ensure they are self-sustained.

The coordinator for People with Disabilities, Mr Thomas Motingwa international day of persons with disabilities has been celebrated annually since 1992 with an overarching objective of promoting and understanding of disability issues, to mobilise support for the dignity and well-being of persons with disability.

Giving a vote of thanks, Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Patrick Ralotsia said people with disability need to form associations and advise government on pertinent issues concerning them.

Kanye North MP agreed with other speakers saying government’s stand on social inclusion of PLWDs was as clear as a day.

He therefore called on stakeholders to work with government to raise awareness on issues around PLWDs and help remove barriers that stalls progress. ENDS