Calls for greater accessibility, dignity and equal participation took centre stage at the Ennerdale Civic Centre on Monday, 14 September, as residents and stakeholders gathered for a disability awareness event.
The programme brought together persons with disabilities, families, community members and stakeholders to highlight the importance of inclusion and the protection of disability rights.
The event was hosted by the Gauteng Department of Social Development in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and the Khomanani Disability Forum.
For residents of Ennerdale and surrounding communities, the gathering served as a platform to highlight the everyday challenges faced by persons with disabilities, while encouraging greater understanding and support at community level.
Organisers emphasised that inclusion should extend beyond awareness campaigns and be reflected in schools, workplaces, public facilities, community programmes and access to essential services.
The event also encouraged residents to play an active role in challenging discrimination and ensuring that persons with disabilities are not excluded from opportunities because of physical, social or environmental barriers.
By bringing government, disability organisations and residents together, the initiative aimed to strengthen cooperation and ensure that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities remain part of community development.
The gathering reinforced a message that building an inclusive Ennerdale requires the involvement of the entire community, with dignity, accessibility and equal participation at the centre of local development.
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