Campus updates
Shape ‘inclusive new economy’ with these citizens in mind
07 May 2020 | Story Helen Swingler. Photo Adobe Stock. Read time 8 min.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa detailed a R500 billion relief package for the nation under threat of COVID-19, he also said that government would take the opportunity to build an inclusive new economy. Riding on this are the hopes of thousands of citizens with disabilities – 7.5% of the population.
It’s an opportunity that the country cannot afford to miss, said Professor Theresa Lorenzo of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Division of Disability Studies and co-lead of Inclusive Practices Africa (IPA), a new UCT research grouping.
The “new global reality” is that millions more people are unemployed, jobs and livelihoods are being lost, and poverty lines are becoming starker. In this economic melee, there’s a danger that the rights of those with disabilities will become subsumed.
“The majority of persons with disabilities are part of our vulnerable population as a result of chronic poverty and living in rural communities, especially those with spinal cord injuries and psycho-social disabilities. So, an active, engaged and coordinated response that is disability inclusive is needed now and in the long term,” said Lorenzo.
She was voicing the joint concerns of colleagues Professor Harsha Kathard (Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders) and Professor Roshan Galvaan (Division of Occupational Therapy), who are also co-leads of IPA, as well as fellow IPA member Thulani Tshabalala, chief executive of the South African Disability Development Trust.
Foster disability inclusion
The IPA focuses on reducing inequality, especially related to disability. The group is currently implementing practices to foster disability inclusion in all sectors of the country’s economy.
“Our signature project is transforming curricula through a decolonial approach and developing an inclusive learning environment and workforce, particularly in the COVID-19 context,” Lorenzo said. “This approach includes training and support to community-based workers who are able to ensure the continuity of care for children, women and youth with disabilities, as well as access resources and information about social and economic opportunities.”
“Disability inclusion means … more than a health or social development response.”
As such, disability inclusion as part of the economic transformation Ramaphosa envisions, means more than a health or social development response. It must include radical systems thinking to generate changes that are sustainable long after the COVID-19 crisis, Kathard added.
“All social and economic strategies must be inclusive and consider all marginalised populations, particularly those with disabilities. Inclusive implementation is also critical and will require aggressive leadership to sustain the transformation effort.”
Inclusive development ‘how to’
The IPA’s guide has been the livelihoods section of the World Health Organization’s 2010 conceptual framework for community-based inclusive development. This section encompasses five elements.
The first is skills development, which begins with the transition from early childhood development through basic and secondary education, with increased attention to post-school learning and more opportunities to access higher education through equitable, universal access support.
This support continues into the marketplace with inclusive staff recruitment and retention.
“The level of education among children and youth with disabilities is generally lower than it is for able-bodied youth, which makes transition from school to further training or higher education difficult,” Tshabalala said.
“The level of education among children and youth with disabilities is generally lower than it is for able-bodied youth.”
“We need to design and offer accredited short programmes for disabled youth – and women who are often the sole breadwinners – on business development and skills transfer; training on governance for NGOs or businesses, which develops capacity for compliance and running shareholder meetings; and monitoring and evaluating their participation in economic development opportunities.”
Further to areas identified for economic development above, he said that bursaries to train disabled people through postgraduate disability studies, master’s and PhDs at UCT will further address economic and social inclusion of disabled people.
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development pledges that ‘no one will be left behind’. The few disabled graduates of UCT’s Disability Studies are leading as disability experts in different sectors of society to achieve disability inclusion.”
Develop disability experts, skills
To effect this, disability experts, community health workers, nurses and therapy professionals must develop their knowledge and skills in processes of community development so that they’re able to tackle poverty and promote social justice.
Second is formal employment. Here a more robust approach to a disability-inclusive work environment is key and must see disability as a part of identity, together with race, class and gender.
Business has a large role to play in providing this support. Here, Lorenzo favours an action-learning approach based on developing exchange programmes, information workshops and research projects on business development.
Tshabalala affirmed this approach.
“Organise for groups of disabled women and youth to visit or job shadow progressive businesses to learn and be inspired; for example, how to upscale their small initiatives and be exposed to important networks.”
Self-employment
The third element is informal employment and entrepreneurship. Here UCT has a role to play in designing inclusive mentoring programmes. This initiative could involve the Faculty of Commerce and the Graduate School of Business to help disabled women and youth develop their business and financial management skills.
“We need an inclusive approach to wealth and land distribution, together with targeted poverty and inequality strategies.”
The fourth element is financial assistance.
“We need an inclusive approach to wealth and land distribution, together with targeted poverty and inequality strategies across all sectors, in such a way that disabled women and youth are prioritised,” said Kathard.
Social protection is the last element. While social grants play a vital role in relieving hunger and providing some assistive devices and technology, research with disabled women showed that they also use their grants as seed money to start small businesses or become informal traders.
Lorenzo added, “So, a skills development grant to meet disabled youth and women’s aspirations to be employed would contribute to their economic inclusion.”
The environmental factors that influence participation in economic opportunities must also be considered, she said. These range from products and technology for connectivity, to the natural environment and societal attitudes.
Products and technology include assistive devices such as wheelchairs or hearing aids and computer software packages.
The natural environment must consider terrain of rural communities and informal settlements for those with mobility impairments. It includes climate change and seasonal changes, both related to food security.
Relationships and attitudes
Relationships within families are also crucial.
“Our research with disabled youth found that those whose families support their efforts to access training opportunities do much better,” said Lorenzo. “In families where the disabled person is not able to work because of their impairment, a family member needs to be given opportunities for skills development and obtaining some form of decent work.”
“Our research with disabled youth found that those whose families support their efforts to access training opportunities do much better.”
Societal attitudes can also shape success. For example, the attitudes of taxi and bus drivers, employers and fellow employees, can be major barriers.
Public transport and other services, systems and policies also play a key role. It’s not enough to have an operational system, said Lorenzo, it must be accessible and affordable for people with disabilities.
She noted that those with mobility impairments who use wheelchairs are charged double fares by taxis as their wheelchairs take up extra space.
“Often it’s out of ignorance or fear of not knowing how to support the person with a disability that discrimination arises. So, awareness-raising, support and mentoring of these stakeholders are critical.”
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Please view the republishing articles page for more information.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 updates
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March.
UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Frequently asked questions
Daily updates
Campus communications
2020
Resources
Video messages from the Department of Medicine
Getting credible, evidence-based, accessible information and recommendations relating to COVID-19
The Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, are producing educational video material for use on digital platforms and in multiple languages. The information contained in these videos is authenticated and endorsed by the team of experts based in the Department of Medicine. Many of the recommendations are based on current best evidence and are aligned to provincial, national and international guidelines. For more information on UCT’s Department of Medicine, please visit the website.
To watch more videos like these, visit the Department of Medicine’s YouTube channel.
Useful information from UCT
External resources
News and opinions
As the COVID-19 crisis drags on and evolves, civil society groups are responding to growing and diversifying needs – just when access to resources is becoming more insecure, writes UCT’s Prof Ralph Hamann.
03 Jul 2020 - 6 min read Republished
The Covid-19 crisis has reinforced the global consequences of fragmented, inadequate and inequitable healthcare systems and the damage caused by hesitant and poorly communicated responses.
24 Jun 2020 - >10 min read Opinion
Our scientists must not practise in isolation, but be encouraged to be creative and increase our knowledge of the needs of developing economies, write Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of UCT, and Professor Thokozani Majozi from the University of the Witwatersrand.
09 Jun 2020 - 6 min read Republished
South Africa has been recognised globally for its success in flattening the curve, which came as a result of President Ramaphosa responding quickly to the crisis, writes Prof Alan Hirsch.
28 Apr 2020 - 6 min read Republished
Statements and media releases
Media releases
Read more
Statements from Government
In an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.