SABC 360 Disabitilty

The Office of the Status of Disabled Persons has been very useful to DICAG's campaign for the equal rights of disabled children. Our peer group organisation, Disabled People South Africa (DPSA), is a valuable asset. Together, DICAG and DPSA have a powerful, united voice in joint lobbying and advocacy ventures.

Tests and diagnosis A complete diagnostic work-up for albinism includes a: •Physical exam •Description of changes in pigmentation •Thorough exam of the eyes •Comparison of your child's pigmentation to that of other family members A medical doctor specializing in vision and eye disorders (ophthalmologist) should conduct your child's eye exam. The exam will include an assessment of potential nystagm...

White Paper: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities The country’s first ever White Paper on the rights of persons with disabilities acknowledges deficits in access to education, reproductive health and rights services as well as health care among people living with disabilities. Persons with Disabilities Approved by Cabinet in December and released in March, the 194-page White Paper is built upon...

An estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population live with a disability. These people have the same sexual and reproductive health needs as other people. Yet they often face barriers to information and services. This guidance note addresses issues of programming in the area of sexual and reproductive health for persons with disabilities. It is intended for experts and advocates within UNFPA and...

The month of October has been declared Mental Health Awareness Month with the objective of not only educating the public about mental health but also to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people with mental illness are often subjected to. Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and job stress are common, affecting individuals, their families and co-workers, and...

A white cane is used by many people who are blind or visually impaired. Its primary uses are as a mobility tool and as a courtesy to others, but there are at least five varieties, each serving a slightly different need. Long Cane: This "traditional" white cane, also known as a "Hoover" cane, after Dr. Richard Hoover, is designed primarily as a mobility tool used to detect objects in the path of a...

Depending on how disability is defined, global figures estimate that 200 million children experience some form of disability. (UNESCO - Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized). However, statistics on incidence and prevalence of childhood disabilities are slim and assumptions often lie within large ranges of uncertainty and are outdated (UNICEF Innocenti Research...

Albinism in humans is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancers. In rare cases such as Chédiak–Higashi syndrome, albinism may be associated with...