To launch National Disability Rights Awareness Month, here is an outline of the important services the Department of Social Development (DSD) provides to people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and their communities.
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The Department of Social Development continues to expand services to people with disabilities, including those with moderate and high support needs and intellectual disabilities.
The DSD’s efforts include:
- Increasing the bed spaces for persons with moderate and high support needs and intellectual disabilities.
- Increasing subsidies to residential facilities for people with disabilities.
- Expanding audits for universal access to buildings for people with disabilities.
The DSD makes the following services available through its NPO partners:
Residential care services facilities:
Managed by non-profit organisations (NPOs), these services provide temporary or permanent care, protection, support, stimulation, and rehabilitation for people with disabilities. These services are provided when they can’t be done at home or in the community.
Protective workshop services:
Working with NPOs, the DSD funds several workshops for people with disabilities. The workshops provide rehabilitation services and employment opportunities to persons with disabilities who experience barriers to accessing employment in the open labour market.
Daycare centres (for both children and adults):
Centres are managed by NPOs to provide daytime supervised care, stimulation, structured programmes, and activities. The Department also subsidises the salaries of carers and programme implementers and the safe transportation of children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities at 44 daycare centres.
The Department of Social Development also embarked on the Provision of Transport to Centres for Children with Severe to Profound Disabilities as part of the Right to Education process. The project includes converting buses to accommodate children with disabilities.
Social work services:
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- Awareness and education
- Counselling
- Peer support programmes
- Family and parental support programmes
- Empowerment programmes, including life skills development
- Programmes enhancing positive self-image and self-perception
Disability mainstreaming strategy:
“Mainstreaming” aims to accommodate special needs into the day-to-day service delivery and development efforts. Special needs can relate to physical, emotional, thinking, motivation, or learning needs.
Programme Achievements
Some recent achievements of the Services to Persons with Disabilities Programme include:
- The approval of the Disability Mainstreaming Strategy.
- The training of social workers on mental disability and a uniform referral pathway for holistic assessment and appropriate referral of persons with disabilities.
- The establishment of parent support structures in George, Witzenberg, Kraaifontein, and Atlantis areas in partnership with the Disabled Children Action Group (an NPO run and managed by the parents of children with disabilities) and some local municipalities.
- The expansion of Peer Support Programme services in Stellenbosch, Knysna, and Beaufort West.
- Capacity building on norms and standards, and improved monitoring and reporting processes, resulted in increased NPO compliance.
To access the services, contact any regional office:
- Cape Winelands: 023 348 5300
- Eden Karoo: 044 814 1687
- Metro South: 021 763 6200
- Metro North: 021 483 7673
- Metro East: 021 812 0921 | 021 360 4200
- West Coast: 022 713 2272
You can also contact the toll-free number: 0800 220 250
Information about services provided by: the Department of Social Development (Western Cape Government)
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