19 Aug 2018

GaMalete Kgosikgolo, Kgosi Mosadi says there is need to address the needs of people with disabilities in all forums.

Among the intervention she suggested was to have a sign language interpreter at kgotla meetings to cater for the deaf and those with hearing impairment.

Kgosi Mosadi said this at the end of a sponsored walk by the South East Sports Association for the Disabled (SESAD) in Ramotswa on August 17.

The sponsored walk, which was from Tswelelopele Brigade to SESAD ground, was aimed at raising funds for the disability accessible park which would consist of hard surface integrated sport court, five aside football ground, conference room and kitchen among others.

In her address, Kgosi Mosadi said all community members deserved to have adequate information which would help them to make informed choices.

She said people living with disability ought to be catered for to access information as part of the community.

Furthermore, Kgosi Mosadi said all people have a right to be respected, right to education, life and to be provided with government services.

She said there was need for change on how people with disabilities were assisted in government officers and public transport among others, saying the environment should be enabling for them.

Therefore, she made a call to all to start treating people with disabilities with respect and added that those assisting them should go an extra mile.

Kgosi Mosadi said they deserved to live in loving families, adding that some of them may wish to marry when they were of age.

She pleaded with society to embrace that people with disabilities needed to be loved and also wished to have their own families.

Kgosi Mosadi, who is also a member of the Pan Africa Parliament and a member of a committee on gender, family, youth and people living with disabilities, encouraged people with disabilities to attend kgotla meetings and other societal consultations to air their views and grievances.

Ramotswa Member of Parliament, Mr Samuel Rantuana said it was urgent for the country to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

He stated that the country was slow to rectify the convention and added that the government had not been proactive in protecting rights of people with disabilities.

SESAD chairperson, Mr Molosiwa Molosiwa said they were raising funds for the disability accessible park, appealing to individuals, donors and companies to assist them to realise their vision. ENDS