In response to a Member's Statement by the FF Plus, Mpumalanga's MEC for Social Development, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, yesterday undertook to look into the fate of youths with disabilities in the province.
The FF Plus requested an intervention in the fate of the province's youths with disabilities seeing as there are no formal workshops, training centres or resources available to accommodate and develop young adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 35.
These youths' disabilities prevent them from being able to access the traditional labour market and, therefore, opportunities must be created for them to live a meaningful life and make an economic contribution to their communities.
There is more than enough evidence showing that if the right environments and opportunities are created for people with disabilities, they are empowered to make a valuable contribution to society. Their exclusion from being able to participate in the economy is not only a sign of a lack of social support, but also a serious accusation against society as a whole.
Enterprise-based skills development and practical projects, like beading as well as arts and crafts, will empower such individuals and will ensure that they generate an income and retain their human dignity.
People with disabilities' transition from school to formal training centres must be considered a priority.
In Mpumalanga, the people with disabilities who live in rural and isolated areas suffer the most as there are virtually no opportunities available to them and as a result, they are often left at home alone without any assistance or stimulation.
The FF Plus will ensure that the MEC keeps to her word so that a positive and sustainable change can be brought about in the lives of these vulnerable youths.
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