Forgetting The Disabled

“AFTER he had that horrible accident, he was partially paralysed.But he was lucky, he still lived and his brain was not damaged.

So, it would be no problem to continue with his job as a teacher. However, the school at which he was a teacher thought differently.He got fired.”Unfortunately this story is not fictitious.In fact, it is a common story in the daily life of Namibian people with disabilities.People with disabilities are confronted by two harsh realities: first, when they find out that they have to face a disability for the rest of their life.Second, when they experience that society turns their backs on them and that they are excluded from their constitutional rights and the rights which they are supposed to enjoy under the Affirmative Action Act.No matter how qualified a person with a disability is – they may have more academic degrees than the person who might interview them for a job – people seem to forget that people with disabilities are one of the “designated groups” for which the Act provides.The disability movement has embarked on a project which is aimed at providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities and to make them self-sustaining.People with disabilities would much rather work than beg.The disability movement plans to open a coffee shop where people with disabilities can work.The objectives of this project are as follows: * Income generation for people with disabilities * Educating people with disabilities and creating job opportunities * Awareness raising within society * Increasing self-esteem and self-reliance of people with disabilities.The coffee shop will be located in the Central business district in Windhoek.The people who will run the coffee shop will be given the necessary skills training, for example hospitality, business management, financial management etc, and will give them more opportunities to be employed in a “mainstream” job.By providing people with disabilities with a job and an income, the project aims to bring human dignity to people with disabilities.It is envisaged that in the long term this coffee shop will also provide an outlet for people with disabilities to sell crafts.Via this project, the disability movement wants to make society aware of the fact that disability does not mean inability.The project is still in its infancy but some progress has been made over the past few months.At the time of writing, a trust is being set up and half of the money needed to start implementing the project has been raised.The project is still looking for financial contributions as well as for a venue in town and would like to call on the Namibian business community and Namibian society at large to consider making a financial or in kind contribution to this project or to assist in finding a venue.Your assistance is invited so that we can all smell the coffee together! For information you can contact the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN): 061 – 26 02 26 / 27 11 33 – nfpdn@mweb.com.naHowever, the school at which he was a teacher thought differently.He got fired.”Unfortunately this story is not fictitious.In fact, it is a common story in the daily life of Namibian people with disabilities.People with disabilities are confronted by two harsh realities: first, when they find out that they have to face a disability for the rest of their life.Second, when they experience that society turns their backs on them and that they are excluded from their constitutional rights and the rights which they are supposed to enjoy under the Affirmative Action Act.No matter how qualified a person with a disability is – they may have more academic degrees than the person who might interview them for a job – people seem to forget that people with disabilities are one of the “designated groups” for which the Act provides.The disability movement has embarked on a project which is aimed at providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities and to make them self-sustaining.People with disabilities would much rather work than beg.The disability movement plans to open a coffee shop where people with disabilities can work.The objectives of this project are as follows: * Income generation for people with disabilities * Educating people with disabilities and creating job opportunities * Awareness raising within society * Increasing self-esteem and self-reliance of people with disabilities.The coffee shop will be located in the Central business district in Windhoek.The people who will run the coffee shop will be given the necessary skills training, for example hospitality, business management, financial management etc, and will give them more opportunities to be employed in a “mainstream” job.By providing people with disabilities with a job and an income, the project aims to bring human dignity to people with disabilities.It is envisaged that in the long term this coffee shop will also provide an outlet for people with disabilities to sell crafts.Via this project, the disability movement wants to make society aware of the fact that disability does not mean inability.The project is still in its infancy but some progress has been made over the past few months.At the time of writing, a trust is being set up and half of the money needed to start implementing the project has been raised.The project is still looking for financial contributions as well as for a venue in town and would like to call on the Namibian business community and Namibian society at large to consider making a financial or in kind contribution to this project or to assist in finding a venue.Your assistance is invited so that we can all smell the coffee together! For information you can contact the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN): 061 – 26 02 26 / 27 11 33 – nfpdn@mweb.com.na