By Lucinda Kerschensteiner | Director
Uhambo has been conducting training for and engaging a network of parents with children with disabilities in a district of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The parents were trained to conduct door to door research, identify other families of children with disabilities, and refer them to the parent network. In addition to this, the network of parents have been using the "Let’s Talk" Parent Tools with these families in order to monitor access to services and support for children with disabilities in the area. .
The "Let’s Talk" Parent Tool is designed to monitor 6 Pillars which connect to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)..
Pillar 1: Roads, Pavements, Transport, Disasters, Devices, Medication and Sign Language
Pillar 2: Policies and Laws, Female Health, Violence and Abuse, Media, Adoption and Foster Care, Information on
diagnosis and disability, SASSA, Foreign Nationals
Pillar 3: Self-supported living, Welcoming communities
Pillar 4: Court, Legal help, Hate Crimes, Right to Education, Social Inclusion
Pillar 5: Work
Pillar 6: Voting, Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), The UNCRPD, Speaking for yourself
To date, since the development of the Parent Network and LTP tool there have been over 600 submissions across South Africa, with 18 coming from the Garden Route area.
From this work to date, it is clear that the parents have a voice and are capable of collecting data, engaging in community dialogues, policy making and change for Persons with Disability in South Africa. There are many areas where support and services are needed, from transport, roads, provision of devices, access to school, access to decision making and more. The information from the Parents via the LTP tool can be an important data set to direct and measure growth and perceptions of CWDs and their families in the area. Long term data could measure impact of improved services and connections in the community. We will keep you posted!
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