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2 December 2008

The South African Human Rights Commission is concerned about the impact that the country's inability to retain psychiatrists in public healthcare and inadequate numbers of social workers, has on the empowerment of people with intellectual, neurological and psychological disabilities.

Therefore, in order to raise awareness around the needs of people with mental disabilities, the Commission will in partnership with the South African Federation on Mental Health, host a Sensitivity Workshop on Persons with Mental Disabilities on Wednesday, 3 December 2008, as part of the International Day for Persons with disabilities.

In view of the complaints it receives, the Commission wants to apply more effort in its focus on the invisible disabilities that are generally marginalised.
The Commission wants to create an environment for where people with intellectual, neurological and psychological disabilities should be empowered to exercise their right to equality. Often mental disabilities are not disclosed for fear of stigmatisation.

There is a need to create a culture of diversity, where people's differences are accommodated. And there are concerns about employment and reasonable accommodation for people with mental disabilities at the workplace as well as the widespread provision of healthcare and other public services.

It is necessary to raise awareness around the needs of people with mental disabilities so that we become a society that takes care of our most vulnerable groups in order to ensure optimal development of human potential.

In this year the Convention on the Rights of People Living with Disabilities came into effect and South Africa is signatory of this convention. Amongst others, this convention places an obligation on member states to report to its committee on the measures that they have put in place towards the realisation of the rights entrenched in the convention.

The Commission hopes that South Africa would have done more for the rights of people living with disabilities when reporting time arrives next and that the South Africa government will be ready to present its report.

Issued by: South African Human Rights Commission
2 December 2008
Source: South African Human Rights Commission (http://www.sahrc.org.za)