LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bridging the gap between promises and action

Dear Sir,

As someone who was part of the National Task Team that spent 14 years crafting the Department of Social Development's Draft Policy on Services for People Living with Disabilities, I am intimately familiar with the document. It is a good piece of work - thorough, forward-thinking, and addressing key areas such as education, capacity building, and socio-economic empowerment. However, having had to step back from the process due to health challenges, I’ve watched its journey from the sidelines with mixed feelings.

The policy itself is sound, but its implementation? That is where the real challenge lies. Over the years, I’ve learned that turning policies into tangible, meaningful change is one of the hardest battles. Without implementation, policies are just academic exercises. They don’t help the average person living with a disability who faces daily challenges accessing services, securing employment, or even receiving basic support.

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The tabling of the policy during National Disability Rights Awareness Month is great. Input from communities is vital, and initiatives like the partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) show promise. Training parents of children with disabilities, as well as creating programmes like “Strong Women,” demonstrates how targeted efforts can empower those at the grassroots level.

Yet, these initiatives must move beyond pilot programmes and isolated districts. For example, rolling out the JICA programme to districts like Pixley ka Seme is commendable, but it’s not enough. For instance, what was the JICA programme in Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape? A rise in disabilities - attributed to foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), violence and motor vehicle accidents - underscores the urgency of proactive, preventative measures.

Similarly, creating a database to compile a skills audit [this I have heard every year … can’t CENSUS be a starting point?] is a crucial step for socio-economic empowerment - but what happens after the data is collected?

NGOs play a pivotal role in extending the reach of government programmes, but they are always overburdened and underfunded. Without strong partnerships and accountability mechanisms, these collaborations can falter. Additionally, while data collection is important, it must be handled ethically and transparently. Protecting the privacy of individuals while leveraging data to improve inclusivity in recruitment and training processes is non-negotiable.

In some cases, implementation demands more than collaboration - it requires legal intervention. For instance, our national body has taken ICASA to court over the lack of closed captioning on news, documentaries, and critical information broadcasts. We have been granted leave to appeal, but even that requires resources, including the R50,000 needed for the appeal court’s administrative processes. These legal battles highlight how essential it is to hold institutions accountable when inclusivity is ignored.

At 69, having worked at local, provincial, national, and international levels, I’ve seen too many well-intentioned policies gather dust due to a lack of commitment to execution. For me, the academic exercise of drafting policies no longer excites me - it is the practical, on-the-ground changes that matter.

As we mark national Disability Rights Awareness Month, I urge policymakers, NGOs, and community leaders to move beyond promises and start delivering results. Public hearings and policy revisions are necessary steps, but they must be followed by actionable plans with measurable outcomes.

To the media, I express my gratitude for the coverage given to disability-related issues. This month is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these topics, but awareness shouldn’t be confined to November. Consistent coverage would go a long way in keeping these issues at the forefront.

To truly make a difference, we must bridge the gap between policies and people. Implementation is not just a checkbox; it is the lifeline that brings policies to life.

Yours sincerely,

Dorothy-Anne Howitson

Secretary / Spokesperson

Association of & for Persons with Disabilities – Frances Baard District

* Letters are very lightly edited for clarity and to comply with the DFA’s style.

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