“Today, we observe International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and the rights of people with disabilities.”
So shared Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) Executive Mayor Dr Elna von Schlicht at a recent Mayoral Committee meeting. “However, here at the CWDM, we are doing our best to increase awareness of the challenges many people with disability, whether temporary, progressive or permanent, experience. We are addressing this daily.”
The CWDM has several close partnerships with various NGOs that are supported through our grant-in-aid programme. There are currently five associations dedicated to the physically disabled in the CWDM; all five received funding towards specific projects aimed at improving the lives of those dependent on them. Another project is the distribution of adult diapers to assist those requiring these.
The CWDM has, through its tourism section, also addressed universal accessibility (UA). In June and July the department ran an extensive radio campaign, together with travel writer, blogger and CEO of Liveable and Able2Travel Accessible Travel Tarryn Tomlinson, to highlight what being a UA travel destination implies.
In September, local tourism associations were invited to submit an itinerary for a family travelling with mountain bikes, prams and a wheelchair-bound family member, to show what experiences and destinations are available in their towns. The winners were Stellenbosch, Montagu and Paarl.
The entries were judged according to strict criteria by Louine Griessel, who at that time was the development manager of the Western Cape Association of and for People with Disabilities (WCAPD), and Tomlinson.
The CWDM’s commitment to UA does not stop there,” Von Schlicht added. “Through funding received from Western Cape Department for Mobility we are currently rebuilding the sidewalks around the National Institute for the Blind in Worcester. This sidewalk will allow people with visual and physical disabilities to travel safely from their home, care facility or school to the CBD and the various buildings of the institute.”
This project includes innovative markers and wider walkways at the corners of the road, allowing for easier identification and safer crossings. The added advantage of the walkway is that it will benefit all people and children using the area, as there are a number of schools, hostels and churches situated in the same space.
The CWDM is the only municipality to have an ambassador for persons with disabilities; Councillor Thys Blom has served on the CWDM council for many years. He not only advocates for organisations to embrace UA, but reminds all around him that simply having a ramp doesn’t necessarily mean that the business is wheelchair friendly; the ramp needs to be user-friendly too. “It’s no use if the ramp is so steep that the wheelchair rolls backwards,” he pointed out.
The CWDM is committed to celebrating the diversity of residents and the diverse options available to people with all kinds of abilities.
