24 Feb 2024

To achieve the desired impact and high level of information dissemination amongst people with disabilities (PWDs), there is need to identify and adopt best practice models on information dissemination. This was stated by head of Preventative Unit from Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital, Dr Keabetswe Solomon during a community outreach awareness campaign for people with disabilities organised by Tshidilo Stimulation Centre (TSC) at Maun Sports Complex.

The campaign aimed to strengthen stakeholder capacity and increase awareness on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), HIV/AIDS and human rights as well as to enhance collaborations with service providers and strengthen cycle of support. Dr Solomon appreciated the campaign and emphasised the need for stakeholders to promote community support as a stepping stone to bringing services closer to people with disabilities.

She said studies showed that some people with disabilities still had self-acceptance issues while some failed to access services, thus the importance of capacitation on human rights could not be over-emphasised. She stressed the need to ensure caregivers adequately cared for PWD’s and strongly condemned discrimination and stigma that emanated from families and communities.

“This campaign is very important as it aims to promote the ability of stakeholders in assisting people with disabilities. All stakeholders present here today are very active participants in ensuring that people with disabilities receive quality services,” she added.

Dr Solomon commended TSC for bringing people with disabilities, care givers and service providers under one roof, saying collaboration was key towards providing effective disability support. She said bringing together people with disabilities, their families, service providers, and the wider community would create a more inclusive, accessible and comprehensive support system that met the unique needs of each person. ends