Cape Town - Both the private sector and government needs to lead in hiring people with disabilities to improve their access to the economy, Western Cape social development MEC Albert Fritz said on Saturday.
“People with disabilities are just as capable, if not better employees in many cases,” he said during a disability awareness demonstration at the Cape Town station, led by the Western Cape Network on Disability.
He said the department was committed to expanding services and economic opportunities for disabled people, including people with intellectual disabilities.
Saturday marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which also ends National Disability Awareness Month.
Department spokesperson Sihle Ngobese in a statement said it believed that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities as everybody else and R148-million has been allocated by the department for the current financial year to its “ever expanding services”.
“This has allowed the department to assist 85 475 persons, up from 59 870 in the prior year. Our focus is not only on improving access, but also extending socio-economic opportunities to especially disabled youth, and increasing services for people with intellectual disabilities.”
