South Africa commemorates National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between 3 November and 3 December. 3 December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is also commemorated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.
The theme for 2014 is:
Celebrating 20 years of the rights of persons with disabilities in our Democracy!
Together we move South Africa forward through radical socio-economic transformation
Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person's lifetime.
The 2014 National Disability Rights Awareness Month takes place within the broader context of our Twenty Years of Democracy celebrations, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, and the finalisation of the Post 2015 Development Agenda internationally, among others. Activities during the Month will
- Provide a platform for government, civil society, business, labour and the media to celebrate, showcase and dialogue on progress made over the past 20 years in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities
- Isolate remaining challenges that hinder the building of inclusive caring societies where the contributions of persons with disabilities are valued and ensured
- Foster consensus on priorities to be addressed in the next five years, including re-positioning and packaging messages that promote disability as a primarily human rights issue.
The Department of Social Development is responsible for driving the government’s equity, equality and empowerment agenda in terms of those living with disabilities.
News Stories
Photos of the launch of National Disability Rights Awareness Month
Services for people with disabilities
