In this regard, Ramaphosa called on government agencies to commit to the inclusion of people with disabilities in carrying out their mandates, adding that the private sector should make a similar commitment to include the disabled into the country’s workforce.
In the discussions, the adoption of Sign Language as the 12th official language of the country was highlighted.
The meeting also put forward the importance of mainstreaming disability and entrenching this through law so that disabled people are incorporated as equals to all citizens in line with the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with disabilities.
They emphasised the need to implement programmes in government that supported people with disabilities.
Strengthening the criminal justice system and other spheres to protect and bring to an end the victimisation and abuse of vulnerable groups and people with disabilities was also highlighted during the opening day of the working group.
Apart from senior ministers and their advisers, more than 20 disability sector organisations attended the meeting as well, including Action in Autism, Epilepsy South Africa, the Association of Hearing Loss Accessibility and Development, Disability Workshop Development Enterprise, Deaf Federation of South Africa, the Albinism Society of South Africa; the Paralympic Committee, Down Syndrome South Africa and Disabled People South Africa.
Other stakeholders included Albinism Society of South Africa; Institute for the Promotion of Disabled Manpower, Disabled Children Action Group, South African Federation for Mental Health, Disabled Women South Africa, Disability Association for South African National Military Veterans, Deaf Empowerment Firm, Blind South Africa, the South African Deaf Youth Development Project; the National Association of Persons with Cerebral Palsy and the South Africa National Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons.