The drive to see learners with disabilities prosper and enjoying equal opportunities as presented by government, has prompted the Eastern Cape Department of Education to kick-start district based career awareness campaigns in all its 12 districts in support of these learners.

These career expo form part of this year’s annual celebrations of the Disability Rights Awareness programme normally held from the 3rd of November up to the 3rd December.

The OR Tambo Coastal’s Assistant Director: Special Programmes and Youth, MalizoleSidelo believes ‘this initiative will help boost the morale of these learners.

While for Funeka Rhadebe, Assistance Director in Alfred Nzo West District, thinks this programme will help empower learners with disability more especially the out of school youth.

“We are improving the conditions of our special schools to eradicate problems like the unavailability of ramps so that learners can move freely in our schools.  In addition, schools like Sive Special school, meant for deaf learners also need our intervention to ensure that officials and learners can communicate easily”, she said.

“Another challenge that we have is that there are still parents who keep their children at home not bringing them in the schools. We are working with other departments including the municipality to do awareness in trying to reach each and every one with disability. The total number of people with disability recorded in the Alfred Nzo West is 433.  We also have 268 learners from Nolitha School who are Severely Mentally Handicap (SMH),” she added.