Human Rights Month:
Recognise and include the Disabled
Human Rights Month is commonly known as a special month for South Africans, but it was in fact the United Nations that first recognised 30 articles of human rights in 1948. This was part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Today, we as South Africans enjoy the firm protection of equal human rights, under the Bill of Rights, documented in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. As we mark 31 years of constitutional democracy, this year, we here at Saint Giles NPO for the Disabled (Saint Giles) would like to highlight the history of this special month on our national calendar, and invite you to join us in tackling discrimination of Disabled people.
Please enjoy learning from this article and consider donating to us as part of your pledge to uphold equal human rights in South Africa, specifically the right for disabled persons to access equal employment opportunities.
Contact us for more information about serving the Disabled
The origins of Human Rights Day in South Africa
Our laws in South Africa are incredibly inclusive, and it is often widely acknowledged around the world that we have the best national constitution from all nations because of exactly this. But where did our journey begin?
On the 21st of March in 1960, the tragedy of the Sharpeville massacre occurred. A total of 69 people passed away and 180 people were injured by police who had fired into a crowd of peaceful protestors. The crowd had gathered to protest the oppressive Pass laws of the Apartheid government in power at the time and in 1994 we marked this date as one to always remember for the ultimate price paid in the name of peace and equality.
The Bill of Rights protects us all from discrimination
Our democratic constitution includes the Bill of Rights, which stands as a sovereign foundation of our entire legal and judicial systems, ensuring that we all receive equal opportunities, protection and dignity as human beings. It’s about redress for the wrongs of our political past and we’re all responsible for upholding this Bill.
Rights for people with disabilities
In the context of the work we do here at Saint Giles, today we want to highlight a few rights and ask that you think about what it’s like for disabled people just to navigate daily life like most of us as able-bodied people do:
- The right to citizenship, security, freedom of assembly, association, belief, opinion and expression.
Disabled people often face limitations with these things because of the physical limitations they experience. It’s not always easy to attend events and group gatherings, or be part of conversations that happen in these spaces. To overcome this, we offer a fully accessible premises for all of our disabled beneficiaries, including an adaptive gym that we refer to as our Remedial Therapy Centre. - The right to be free from forced labour, servitude and slavery.
By employing over 130 beneficiaries in our Work Centre, we are able to provide the dignity of employment to people who may otherwise be sidelined by their limited access to education, support and economic opportunities.
Other protected rights include a healthy environment; housing, health care, food, water and social security.
We do our best here at Saint Giles to maintain our Remedial Therapy Centre where a growing number of disabled people are able to book physical therapy sessions and enjoy exercising even if they are dependent on adaptive devices like wheelchairs or crutches.
Please reach out to our marketing team to book a visit to our facility to learn more, and consider us as a beneficiary of your company’s next community wellness programme so we can keep the centre running and available to hundreds of patients in need.
How can you help to protect human rights for the Disabled?
We’re grateful that you’ve taken the first step by spending some time on our website to read this article. Please do share it outward on your social media profiles or your WhatsApp status, so we can amplify the call for awareness of equal rights for all, including disabled persons.
Here are a few more ways you can help:
- Make an effort every day – Do the polite things you would appreciate, like holding open an elevator door, and please don’t park in designated disabled parking bays unless you are medically approved to do so.
- Make a donation to us – Head over to our donate page right now and make your mark. No amount is too big or too small to help us reach more people.
- Corporate CSR/CSI funding – Does your employer get involved in charity projects? Please introduce us to your CSR/CSI/Social Outreach Manager so we can collaborate on special projects and put your charitable budgets to great work. HINT: We offer Section 18A certificates and we are a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, making us an ideal choice of beneficiary for larger organisations.
- Collaborate with us – Whether it’s raising awareness within your teams, making your company policies more accommodating of disabled persons, or helping you choose adaptive equipment for your facilities, there are many ways in which our team is ready and willing to work alongside you. Reach out through our contact page with your ideas.
Let’s make this Human Rights Month an inclusive one, and uphold our responsibility as South Africans to protect equal rights for each other, including the Disabled.