Presentation on Department of Arts and Culture’s contribution to

Persons with Disabilities

Presentation to Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities

31 October 2012

Presentation Outline• Vision of the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC)• DAC’s Legislative Mandate• Programmes focusing on Persons with Disabilities• Programmes focusing on promotion of Sign Language• Specific DAC collaborative programmes focusing on

PwDs• Promotion of Sign Language• Sample of Current Programmes• Conclusion

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Vision of Department of Arts and Culture

• The vision of Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) I to develop and preserve South African culture to ensure social cohesion and nation building• DAC’s legislative mandate is linked to

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, including the Preamble and Founding Provisions and in particular Sections 16 (1) and 32 (1)

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DAC’s Legislative Mandate• Primary legislative framework of DAC

emanates from its various Acts, relevant in this presentation are:

• National Council for Library and Information Act, 2001 (Act No. 6 of 2001)

• Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000)

• South African Library for the Blind Act, 1998 (Act 91 of 1998)

• Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) Act, 1995 (Act 59 of 1995)

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Programmes focusing on Persons with Disabilities

• The DAC seeks to promote of Arts, Culture and Heritage in South Africa and mainstream its role in socio-cultural and socio-economic development.

• The DAC Infrastructure section has been working on creating access to its institutions to PwDs, such as Theatres, Museum and administration buildings. Handrails have been installed, Braille labels (artwork called Alphabet for the Blind at Oliewenhuis Museum, accessible to people who can read Braille only) and suitable/dignified wheelchair access.

• PAN South African Language Board (PANSALB) has been established among others to promote the use of Sign Language

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Programmes focusing on promotion of Sign Language

• The DAC seeks to promote of Arts, Culture and Heritage in South Africa and mainstream its role in socio-cultural and socio-economic development.

• This includes of mainstreaming of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), with Chief Directorate Arts, Social Development and Youth’s focus being inclusion & participation of PwDs.

• The DAC Infrastructure section has been working on creating access to its institutions to PwDs,

• suitable/dignified wheelchair access such as Theatres, Museum and administration buildings.

• Handrails have been installed and where requested provide Braille labels

• Purchase of artwork called Alphabet for the Blind at Oliewenhuis Museum, a DAC Entity (accessible to people who can read Braille only), in Mangaung

• PAN South African Language Board (PANSALB) has been established among others to promote the use of Sign Language 6

Specific DAC collaborative programmes focusing on PwDs

Programme 2011/2012 partnership Financial implications in R’000

PANSALB Promotion of Sign language campaign 69 000 (for Operations, awaiting Programme budget approval )

SA Library for the Blind

Blind SA prints Braille materials in all eleven official languages of South Africa and liaises with the South Africa Braille Authority (SABA) in developing Braille standards and policy for these languages.

6 076

Art Therapy Centre

Training in Art Therapy Counsellors for community workers

520

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Specific DAC collaborative programmes focusing on PwDs

Programme 2011/2012 partnership Financial implications in R’000

DeafTV Zwakala Festival Annual Deaf Children and Youth Arts talent showcasing

220

SA Council for the Blind Braille printing and production policy Policy Partnership

Tshwane Deaf Association Heritage Showcase by Deaf people of Tshwane

100

Theatre production by Africa Sinakho Arts

Theatre production that prominently features PwD/Artists with Disabilities

TBC

Gifted Stars National Art Talent search competition TBC

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Specific DAC designed programmes focusing on Persons with Disabilities

• The DAC has partnered with civil society groups that serve PwDs:• Art Therapy Centre, based in Gauteng, trains community Art Counsellors, who work with

vulnerable persons, • DeafTV Zwakala Festival, an Annual Performing Arts awards, that identify talent among

Deaf Children & Youth. This is also linked to SABC DeafTV programme• SA Council for the Blind, exploring ways of reducing the costs of Braille printing which has

recommended Braille Production policy• Tshwane Deaf Association, showcasing heritage performances by Deaf participants,

including their visits to heritage sites • ‘In Blood’ Theatre production by Africa Sinakho Arts, that showcases artists with

disabilities and ‘able’ bodied artists interacting and sharing the stage • Look at Me Photographic exhibition, done in collaboration with the British Council and

Artscape, celebrates the beauty of women with disabilities• Currently under discussion with DWCPwD: The Gifted Stars national talent search

competition, where DAC will be government partner9

Promotion of Sign Language• Constitution of the Republic of South Africa recognizes South African

Sign Language (SASL) as one of the languages of the Republic of South Africa

• The language is included as one of the languages PanSALB is mandated to promote, to create conditions for its development and to use, as well as protect (ensure respect).

• Democratic dispensation and the inclusion of Sign Language in the constitution:

• created space for the Deaf to participate in the development and other activities of this country

• has given linguistic right to 412 421 profoundly Deaf and 1 237 264 extremely hard-of-hearing people (Statistics SA Census, 2001).

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Promotion of Sign Language cont.

• Since 1996, SASL has been recognised as the language of learning and teaching for the majority of Deaf learners in South Africa as can be seen in the Education White Paper.

• There are still challenges around this because of a lack of qualified teachers in SASL and the scarcity of accredited SASL Interpreters – currently, there are only seven accredited SASL Interpreters.

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Promotion of Sign Language cont..• Recognising the situations outlined above, PanSALB identified a need to

put in place awareness campaigns whose purpose is to:• Assist the Deaf to come out openly about their access services

(education opportunities, social services, etc.) like other South African citizens, equal education opportunities and therefore, SASL interpreter services.

• Conscientise the hearing about deafness, Deaf culture and SASL Interpreting services.

• PanSALB established the SASL National Language Body (NLB) together with NLBs for other eleven (for the eleven official languages) and another (for the Khoi and San languages).

• In the establishment of each of the nine Provincial Language Committees (PLCs), PanSALB ensures that there is a Deaf member representing SASL.

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Promotion of Sign Language cont…• Programmes and projects implemented by PanSALB are in line

with the following:• The recognition of SASL as part of languages of South Africa and

create space to ensure that it is used and developed to operate in all key domains of society.

• Ensuring that PanSALB and relevant bodies attend to the developmental needs of SASL.

• Providing advice to relevant bodies and individuals on SASL and strategies of promoting SASL as part of multilingualism in South Africa

• Monitoring the implementation of projects and programmes that promote the development and use of SASL

• Protect the linguistic rights of Deaf Rights

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Sample of Current ProgrammesProgramme Province and Activity Remarks

Service delivery through Sign language of for the Deaf

Northern Cape

The aim of the workshops was promoting SASL and Deaf Culture in the provision of service delivery.

There is not a single Deaf person who is employed at the departments that were visited by PanSALB which included the follows: SAPS, Health, Social Services, De Aar and Upington district municipalities.

Training and awareness in Sign Language

NORTH WESTAbout 150 parents were taught Sign Language to facilitate easy communication with their children during school vacations

Presently there are no known accredited services providers of Sign Language in the Northern West.

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Sample of Current Programmes contProgramme Province and Activity Remarks

Sign language can improve service delivery

GautengThis training was to equip front line workers of the Hospital with basic Sign Language in order to ensure effective communication towards the Deaf clients visiting the hospital on a daily basis.

Workers in most public institutions are not conversant in Sign Language, as a result these creates a barriers in service delivery.

Sign language development

Free StatePanSALB is funded training of 10 SASL interpreters in the Free State, run in partnership with University of the Free State. Material will launched in 2008.

There are only 7 qualified Sign Language interpreters conducting training at the tertiary institutions in the Free State.

SASL Interpreters Guidelines needed

LimpopoThere is a need to look at the drafting of SASL Interpreters guidelines document.

Lack of guidelines leads to mushrooming of private companies who exploits the Deaf.

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Sample of Current Programmes cont..Programme Province and Activity Remarks

Unemployment rate Western CapeIn 2005 – 2006 PanSALB funded the centre for the Deaf in Worcester to establish an infrastructure for the development of SASL and training the Deaf

There is still high unemployement rate and discrimination towards Deaf people in most departments.

SASL Terms development

MpumalangaIn 2008 SASL NLB Technical Committee recorded Signed Health Terms and produced a DVD and master copy and 50 copies funded by PanSALB

Most teachers who are teaching in Deaf Schools have limited knowledge of Deaf language; as a result they can’t sign for instant scientific terms.

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Conclusion

•DAC will continue to collaborate with DWCPwD, in serving the needs of vulnerable persons, especially PwDs •This includes ensuring that:•DAC Entities respond to the needs of PwDs•Mzansi Golden Economy includes beneficiation and participation of PwDs

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Thank you