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JOBACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
ON THE RECRUITMENT, EMPLOYMENT
AND RETENTION OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
Part 1
Department of Public Service and Administration
FOREWORD BY THE MINISTER
When the new Government came into power in 1994 it inherited a Public Service that was not representative of the society that it served. This necessitated a complete overhaul of the Public Service in order to bring about a transformed, representative and inclusive Public Service. To this end, the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, 1995 introduced employment equity targets in respect of race, gender and disability. It also stipulated that within a period of ten years, people with disabilities should constitute at least 2% of the Public Service personnel. However by December 2005, people with disabilities only constituted 0.16% of the Public Service personnel. Cabinet then reviewed and retained the 2% minimum target to be achieved by 31 March 2010. Cabinet further supported the development of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework on the Recruitment, Employment and Retention of Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service which is a strategy designed to fast track the attainment of the disability employment equity target. This strategic framework is therefore an innovative intervention that seeks to introduce measures which departments need to put in place to ensure that the Public Service is accessible, accommodating and inclusive of people with disabilities. It not only recognizes the need for capacity development among people with disabilities themselves, but as a necessary pre-requisite for those whose tasks include the implementation of this strategic framework. It is hoped that through this strategy, the objective of creating an inclusive Public Service that values diversity may be achieved.
Mr Richard Baloyi
Minister for Public Service and Administration
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PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
Title of this document This document is entitled the “JobAccess Strategic Framework on the Recruitment, Employment and Retention of Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service”. This framework is also referred to as the Disability Management Strategic Framework since on the whole it seeks to address issues of disability management in the public service workplace.
Objectives of this document The purpose of this document is to outline a strategic approach for advancing people with disabilities within the Public Service in terms of recruitment, employment, retention, and skills development. The intent of the strategic framework is to advance an effective enabling environment within the Public Service through the adoption of progressive policies, establishment of relevant institutional mechanisms and development of key operational processes to ensure a transformed, non-discriminatory and fully inclusive Public Service.
Goal of this document The ultimate goal of this document is to locate disability management in its social, economic, legal and developmental context. It is also to define the parameters for the content, structure and principles of the Job ACCESS Strategy, and to outline a framework for the successful implementation of the strategy.
Overview The array of priorities as addressed in the conceptual framework has been derived through a national consultative process with stakeholders and through a review of international and local best practices. The consultation and review sought to highlight the core issues and take note of exemplary practices in responding to the issues and challenges of the Disability Management field.
Target audience This strategic framework is geared towards assisting Heads of Departments, Disability Management practitioners, Employment Equity Practitioners, Human Resource Practitioners, line managers, and the Public Service workplace in general with information and guidelines on ensuring that disability issues form part of the usual functioning of the department. Structure of the document This document is divided into different sections that address the key strategic areas that drive management of disability in the workplace. The document also highlights the functional pillars which are instrumental in driving disability management. These are (1) Enabling environment; (2) Equality of opportunities; (3) Mainstreaming of disability; and (4) Barrier free workplace.
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Enquiries All enquiries regarding the implementation of this framework can be directed to The Diversity Management Chief Directorate within the Branch: Human Resources Management and Development
Forward to: Diversity Management Chief Directorate Department of Public Service and Administration 6th Floor, Batho Pele House Private Bag X 916 Pretoria 0001 Or e-mail: [email protected] Or fax: (012) 336 1918 Tel: (012) 336 1108
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ACRONYMS
AA Affirmative Action ASGISA Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa AU African Union CDW Community Development Workers DDG-HRM&D Deputy Director-General: Human Resource Management and Development DG:dpsa Director General: Department of Public Service and Administration DoL Department of Labour DPLG Department of Provincial and Local Government DPO Disabled Persons’ Organisation DPSA Department of Public Service and Administration EE Employment Equity ETQA Education and Training Qualifications Authority GEMS Government Employees Pension Fund ILO International Labour Organization M&E Monitoring and Evaluation OSDP Office on the Status of Disabled Persons PWDs People with Disabilities PSETA Public Sector Education and Training Authority SA South Africa SETA Sector Education and Training Authority SMME Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises SAQA South African Qualifications Authority TSCs Thusong Service Centres UN United Nations
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CONTENTS
Foreword 02 Purpose of this Document 03 Acronyms 05 List of Figures 07 List of Tables 07 SECTION 1: Overview 08 1. JobACCESS Strategic Framework 08
1.1 Introduction 08
1.3 Legislative Framework for JobACCESS Strategic Framework 1.4 Philosophy of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework 1.5 Vision and Mission of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework
1.7 Rationale for the Four Functional Pillars of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework 1.8 The Context of Disability Management in the Public Service 1.9 Outlining the Content Structure for the JobACCESS Strategy
SECTION 3: Key Process Initiatives to ensure Implementation of the Strategy 3.1 Pillar 1: Enabling environment for People with Disabilities 3.2 Pillar 2: Equality of Opportunities for People with Disabilities
SECTION 4: Outline of the JobACCESSS Strategic Framework
SECTION 5: Strategic Approach to Advancing Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service 5.1 Employability: Helping more People into Jobs 5.2 Equality of Opportunity in the Workplace
5.5 Partnerships with disabled peoples’ organizations SECTION 6: Strategic Plan of Action for JobACCESS Strategy
1.2. Objective 08
10 08
10 1.5.1 Vision 10
1.6 Core Principles 11 1.5.2 Mission 11
13 14 14
SECTION 2: Functional Pillars of the Strategy 16
2.3 Pillar 3: Mainstreaming of Disability 18
2.1 Pillar 1: Enabling Environment 16 2.2 Pillar 2: Equality of Opportunities 17
2.4 Pillar 4: Barrier Free Workplace 18
21
2.4.1 Beyond Barriers 19
21 24
3.3 Pillar 3: Mainstreaming of Disability 26 3.4 Pillar 4: Barrier Free Workplace 28
30
4.1 Strategic Objectives and Sub-Objectives 30
35
35 35
5.3 Improving Health and Well-being 36 5.4 Retention 36
39
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SECTION 7: Monitoring and Evaluation 57
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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Conceptual Framework for Disability Management in the Public Service
Figure 3: Key Pillars of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework Figure 4: Strategic Framework for Pillar 1: Enabling Environment Figure 5: Strategic Framework for Pillar 2: Equality of Opportunities Figure 6: Strategic Framework for Pillar 3: Mainstreaming of Disability Figure 7: Strategic Framework for Pillar 4: Barrier-Free Workplace LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Strategic Objective and Sub-Objectives of JobACCESS Strategy Table 2: Table Showing Strategic Approach for the JobACCESS in the Short,
Table 3: Description of Items in JobACCESS Strategy Table 4: The Strategic Plan of Action
10 Figure 2: A Set of Core Principles 11
41
16
39
23
Medium and Long Term 37
31
29 27 25
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SECTION 1: OVERVIEW 1. JOB ACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 defines persons with disabilities as “people who have a long-term or recurring physical or mental impairment which substantially limits their prospects of entry into, or advancement in employment.” People with disabilities face several barriers in their everyday life and are thereby rendered unable to participate fully in society and reach their full potential. They are one of the most disadvantaged groups in society, with less likelihood to obtain educational qualifications or to be employed. They face communication and transport barriers, and are likely to have lower or no incomes and fewer financial resources. All too often, persons with disabilities find themselves the poorest of the poor, living in abject poverty and in unfriendly, unsafe and unhealthy environments. In addition to these challenges faced on a daily basis, public attitudes to disability often take the form of ignorance, stereotyping and prejudice, which have a negative impact on the lives of persons with disabilities. Historically, the country was challenged by de jure and de facto discrimination on the basis of, among others, race, sex and disability. These forms of discriminatory practices manifested themselves in various inegalitarian ways within the Public Service in general, but particularly in the manner in which the Public Service was constituted. In 1994, the new democratic Government committed itself to eradicating all forms of such discriminatory practices, and to repeal all laws that formed the basis for such discrimination. This necessitated a complete overhaul of the Public Service towards being truly transformed, representative and inclusive, with committed goals towards redressing inherited imbalances, inequalities and inequities. In this regard, Government adopted the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, 1995 that outlined Government’s commitment to achieve a minimum of 2% representation of persons with disabilities in the Public Service by 2005. However, as at December 2005, people with disabilities constituted a mere 0.16% of Public Service personnel, which was well below the set target. As a result, in 2005, Cabinet reviewed and maintained the minimum 2% employment equity target for people with disabilities within the Public Service, to be achieved by 31 March 2010. Furthermore, Cabinet approved the minimum target of 2% Public Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) learnerships for unemployed persons with disabilities by 31 March 2008. Cabinet also supported the development of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework on the Recruitment, Employment and Retention of Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service. 1.2. OBJECTIVE This strategic framework is a concerted effort at advancing and fast tracking the achievement of these targets through addressing the several challenges faced by persons with disabilities within the Public Service. It is premised on removing and eradicating barriers wherever they exist. The ultimate aim is to ensure that all people with disabilities in South Africa, irrespective of race, sex, or creed, are able to enjoy their fundamental freedoms and human rights. 1.3 LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE JOBACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK The legal and policy platform for the Job Access Strategic Framework is aligned to the HRD strategy. All the enabling frameworks for transforming the public service both economically and socially which drive the Government’s agenda form the basis for development and ensuring the achievement of an all inclusive public service where people with disabilities are reasonably accommodated.
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR DISABILITY MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
Constitution of the RSA, 1996
Employment Equity Act, 55 of 1998 & Skills
Development Act, 1998
Labour Relations Act,
66 of 1995
Promotion of Equality and Prevention of
Unfair Discrimination Act, 4 of 2000
Public Service Act, 1994 as amended & Regulations
Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 & Occupational Health and
Safety Act, 1997
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS FOR DISABILITY MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, 1995
White Paper on
Affirmative Action in the
Public Service, 1998
&Code of Good Practice on EE
White Paper on Integrated National Disability
Strategy, 2001
Technical Assistance
Guidelines on the
Employment of People with Disabilities,
2003
Code of Good Practice:
Employment of People with
Disabilities, 2002
Strategic Framework for Gender Equality
within the Public Service, 2007
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICY FRAMEWORK AND PROGRAMMES Presidential
Pronouncements and Budget Speech
IDPs
Medium Term Strategy
Framework
National Spatial Development
Strategies
Provincial Growth and Development Strategies
INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS UNDERPINNING DISABILITY MANAGEMENT
• International Labour Organisations’ Conventions (ILO) • United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) • The Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action, 1995 • United Nations Millennium Declaration and its Development Goals (MDGs) • The International Convention on Population Development
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1.4 PHILOSOPHY OF THE JOB ACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
The overall strategic framework for Job Access which defines Disability Management within the Public Service is represented in terms of a “Parthenon House” with a roof representing the Vision of the Job Access Strategic Framework. This house is held up by four pillars each representing four critical strategic objectives built on a foundation of a set of core principles and a legal framework from which the implementation programmes draw their mandate. Cutting transversally across these four functional pillars are the four process pillars from which the HRD Strategy is determined.
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR DISABILITY MANAGEMENT
A transformed Public Service that is free of discrimination, inequalities and barriers to self reliance
Enabling Environment
Equality of opportunities
Mainstreaming of Disability
Barrier free Workplace
4 Critical Pillars of Action for Promoting Disability Management
10 Core Principles underpinning Disability Management
CREATING A NON-SEXIST, NON-RACIST AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC SERVICE
A VISION FOR DISABILITY MANAGEMENT
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AS A FOUNDATIONC
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Fig. 1 The critical components of the framework are the Vision and Mission; the four strategic programmes or key pillars; the 10 core principles; and the cross cutting key initiatives of the HRD strategy. 1.5 VISION AND MISSION OF THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 1.5.1 VISION The vision espoused is to create a transformed Public Service that is free of discrimination, inequalities and barriers to self reliance, and where persons with disabilities enjoy their rights and privileges as equal citizens. The strategic framework is premised on the promotion of social justice. Social justice is about every individual enjoying equal opportunity for a better life. The approach is one of finding long-term solutions to deep-rooted and low social status, exclusion, and discrimination. Since quick fixes offer only short-term solutions, persistence of entrenched inequalities and inequities necessitates a long-term vision. The strategy seeks to encourage sustained investment and emphatic commitment to the goal of ensuring an economically stable, healthier, better skilled, better educated and inclusive society. The vision is not merely a statement. It is a desired future that must be lived and experienced in government departments. The vision espoused in this strategy therefore serves as one of the tools or instruments that can be used for building collective spirit and for securing commitment among all staff at all levels. It must be seen as a catalyst for change because of its transformative capacity in government when collectively crafted and strategically used. In promoting a common vision, each department must
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craft its own understanding of what it means to have an inclusive Public Service workplace. This JobACCESS strategy therefore provides a generic understanding of what is envisioned by an “inclusive Public Service”. 1.5.2 MISSION The mission of this strategic framework is to “create a non-racial, non-sexist and an all-inclusive public service.” This therefore suggests that the inclusion of people with disabilities is critical within the public service in order to achieve a well represented workforce that is free of discrimination based on disability. 1.6 CORE PRINCIPLES The Job Access strategic framework is based on core principles which are a set of value-based assumptions which guide our behaviour and interactions, and are geared towards an understanding of the achievement of a transformed Public Service. They seek to establish a common set of beliefs among practitioners and stakeholders so that programmed interventions are not based on different stakeholder assumptions. A common set of principles is the basis for realizing an established vision, and is a basis upon which it is predicated that all will act to ensure progress. The core principles are as follows:
Fig. 2 The four principles that are the cornerstone for the Disability Management programmes, practices, and services are as follows:
Focus on all Levels of Employment
Equality and non-discrimination
Building Government capacity
Addressing diversity of needs
Human dignity, autonomy, development and empowerment
Barrier- free Public Service
Collaborative partnerships.
Full access and capacity at all levels
Promoting Access and reasonable accommodation as well as to Provide opportunities
Promoting access to opportunities to employment, skills development and decision-making levels
Ensuring that there is non-racism, non-sexism and equality for all
Valuing of diversity at all levels
Expanding access to knowledge & promoting individual responsibility for learning
Respecting the circumstances and inherent practices of different groups
Respect for human dignity and ensuring the inculcation of Batho Pele principles
Ensuring cohesive & consistent governance
Building partnerships with DPO’s, Youth and Gender groups
A SET OF CORE
PRINCIPLES
A basis for common understanding and concerted action
among stakeholders and practitioners in
Disability Management
Responding to the needs of people with disabilities
Representation of people with disabilities
Healthy integration and embracing change
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Representation of targeted groups
Fundamental to the creation of a non-sexist, non-racist and fully inclusive Public Service is the process of achieving equity, parity, representation and participation of the designated groups in the employ of the Public Service. It is imperative that any strategy that aims to promote and protect human rights and human dignity of all people, must ensure that it first “gets the numbers game” right. Concomitantly, affirmative action measures and special measures to empower women, people with disabilities and blacks are critical in order to increase their participation in all occupational categories and levels. Furthermore, it is irrefutably essential to ensure that processes of policy and programme generation to advance designated groups includes participation by members belonging to such groups. Participation in key decision-making that concerns designated groups cannot take place outside of those it concerns and seeks to address. Equality and non-discrimination
The principles of equality and non-discrimination are the cornerstones of democracy upon which the South African constitution is based. Any discrimination based on any grounds such as sex, race, ethnicity, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, disability, age or sexual orientation is contravening such constitutional imperatives. Pivotal to the transformation of the Public Service is non-discrimination and the Public Service perpetuates the value that discrimination on any unfair ground be eliminated. While this is so, it must be remembered that a core principle adopted by government in the promotion of the interests of, and access to opportunities, by women, people with disabilities and blacks, is constituted as “fair discrimination”. The basic notion which belies this thinking is the pressing need to “level the playing fields” and fast track the achievement of de jure and de facto equality. The Public Service promotes and disseminates the values and practices underlying the fight against discrimination, including through the use of awareness-raising campaigns and diversity management interventions. Equality and non-discrimination warrant that individuals be protected against unreasonable or unacceptable differential treatment. Barrier free Public Service
There is a need to maintain an inclusive, barrier-free work environment that is accessible to all. Respect of an individual’s right to privacy and confidentiality should be maintained at all times. The Public Service ought to be mindful in the planning and designing of work-related events so that events and opportunities are accessible to all employees. Professional (e.g., lack of advancement, mentoring, and training opportunities) and psychological (e.g., issues related to balancing family/work expectations and
sexual discrimination/harassment) barriers that affect the progress and well-being of individuals in the workplace need to be eliminated. The removal of these barriers will, ultimately, result in departments improving their service delivery levels. Collaborative Partnerships
The need for partnerships between the Public Service and organizations for people with disabilities, the National Gender Machinery and NGOs are becoming increasingly important as needs, trends, and issues are identified. The essential elements associated with successful collaborative partnerships are networking and vision. Establishing these collaborative partnerships should ideally build on each other's strengths and help create innovative services and processes for the Public Service and communities.
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1.7 RATIONALE FOR THE FOUR FUNCTIONAL PILLARS OF THE JOB ACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
The strategic framework is based on four functional pillars which represent the recommended core functions of Disability Management, and identify a critical set of initiatives to be undertaken by practitioners in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. These four functional pillars prescribe the minimum standards that need to be covered as part of disability management. These are pillars of strategic functions and building blocks that represent the content or “the what” of areas of action in implementation. The four pillars are as follows:-
The form and content of this JobACCESS Strategic Framework, its Implementation Guidelines and Plan of Action are informed by the inputs and recommendations obtained from several stakeholders, both nationally and provincially, following the launch of the draft JobACCESS consultation document in October 2006. Consultations on the draft document included posting it on the dpsa website for public comment. Inputs were also obtained during the one national and nine provincial advocacy road-shows on the draft document embarked upon by the dpsa during February – April 2007. The key audience that was targeted during these road-shows included disability focal points, Human Resource Managers and Practitioners; Employment Equity Managers; Transformation Officers; employees with disabilities and representatives from Premiers’ Offices such as provincial OSDP coordinators. In addition, the dpsa fully collaborated with the National Office on the Status of Persons with Disabilities (OSDP) in the Presidency on the development, consultation and finalization of this strategic framework and its implementation guide and plan. Furthermore, finalization of the framework was consulted on through several Project Steering Committee meetings hosted by the dpsa. Key participants within these meetings included the Presidency, the dplg, the palama, the Department of Labour and relevant SMS members in the dpsa. The strategy has also been consulted on at two National Steering Committees on Human Resource Management and Development, as well as at the Governance and Administration Cluster level. It is therefore a fair reflection of the various opinions, suggestions and recommendations of key Public Service stake-holders. The JobACCESS Strategic Framework presents a long-term approach towards developing a fully transformed and inclusive Public Service. Achieving this vision will involve ensuring that persons with disabilities have a meaningful partnership with government and society based on mutual respect, non-discrimination and equality. Ultimately, the JobACCESS Strategic Framework purports to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully integrated into the world of work where their values, diversity and interdependence will be recognized and their human rights protected and promoted. In short, the long-term vision aims at bringing about a better quality of life for all citizens, including people with disabilities in South Africa.
The four functional pillars for Disability Management:
Enabling environment,
Equality of Opportunity (Equity),
Mainstreaming of Disability Issues, and
Barrier free workplace.
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1.8 THE CONTEXT OF DISABILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE The Public Service is increasingly emphasizing the urgent need to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities as an integral part of policy-making rather than dealing with the consequences of neglect down the line. It is critical to promote and protect the full participation and equality of persons with disabilities within the Public Service, which will benefit both persons with disabilities and ‘able-bodied’ persons. Looked at in this way, it is clear why policies to include and promote better service delivery, quality of work-life and healthy work environments for persons with disabilities also have the capacity to have long-term social and economic benefits. Society is constructed on the assumptions and beliefs that:
all persons can move quickly from one side of the street to the other; all persons are able to see signs, or read directions, or hear instructions and announcements; all of society are able to reach buttons or see themselves in public rest-room mirrors; all persons are able to open heavy doors or use the same public amenities and facilities; all people can walk up stairs or access a building; all people have stable moods and perceptions.
National goals focus on the development of a strong economy and a cohesive society, where persons with disabilities are able to lead healthy, independent lives and enjoy the environment around them. 1.9 OUTLINING THE CONTENT STRUCTURE FOR THE JOBACCESS STRATEGY This JobACCESS Strategic Framework is premised on policy interventions and sustainable measures undertaken to address the fundamental question: “What are we doing to create the non-racial, non-sexist, equitable and prosperous society?” Furthermore, the framework is entrenched within the Constitutional imperative that “all spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must … secure the well-being of the people of the Republic.” Public officials are thus obliged to think about the effect of issues such as administrative reform on the population, broadly, and more specifically on the focus interest groups such as people with disabilities, women and youth. The Constitutional obligations are by their very nature guiding principles for public service transformation – this includes:
ensuring human dignity, achieving equality and advancing human rights and freedoms; non-racialism and non-sexism; supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law; and Accountability, responsiveness and an open system of governance.
The developmental state is a point of departure that must balance between fighting poverty and expanding economic opportunity, i.e. providing a social net and stimulating growth. This translates to “shared growth” with equal emphasis on both parts of the equation. The 2001 strategy sets out clearly that sustainable development means “a better life for all” and used the widely acclaimed international definition of “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.1 This Strategic Framework is geared towards enhancing the current enabling environment for the Public Service to begin removing persistent barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in the world of work as well as within society.
1 From Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2001
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It is embedded in the vision of a society that highly values the lives, and continually enhances the full participation of persons with disabilities. It is therefore an enduring framework that guarantees that the Public Service considers persons with disabilities before making decisions. The broad objectives of the Public Service JobACCESS Strategy are:
Social progress that recognizes the needs of all with focus on vulnerable groups; Equality of opportunity; Social justice and the right to development; Access and redress; and Partnerships.
In order to achieve these objectives within the Public Service, this strategic framework is premised on a number of specific objectives which must be translated into action points that can be implemented, for which there is a specific implementation or action plan.
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SECTION 2: FUNCTIONAL PILLARS OF THE STRATEGY The diagram below indicates the four functional pillars of the strategy, and these form the basis upon which disability management in general is approached.
1
Enabling Environment
Disability Mainstreaming
Equality of Opportunities
Barrier Free Workplace
KEY PILLARS OF THEJOB ACCESS FRAMEWORK
• Recruitment and Selection•Retention Management•Creating a database of people with disabilities•Affirmative Action•Promoting disability equity•Human rights and social justice
PILLAR 2
• Recruitment and Selection•Retention Management•Creating a database of people with disabilities•Affirmative Action•Promoting disability equity•Human rights and social justice
PILLAR 2
•Disability sensitive policies•Conducting research•Standard operating procedures•Monitoring and Evaluation
PILLAR 3
•Disability sensitive policies•Conducting research•Standard operating procedures•Monitoring and Evaluation
PILLAR 3
Reasonable AccommodationGuidelines on
accessibilitySpecial facilities and
assistive devices
PILLAR 4
Reasonable AccommodationGuidelines on
accessibilitySpecial facilities and
assistive devices
PILLAR 4
•Addressing stigma & discrimination•Sensitisation Programmes•Providing adequate resources•Culture change
PILLAR 1
•Addressing stigma & discrimination•Sensitisation Programmes•Providing adequate resources•Culture change
PILLAR 1
Fig. 3
2.1 PILLAR 1: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT Creating an enabling environment for people with disabilities requires that departments adopt a multipronged approach or set of initiatives. These must, in essence, have the effect of bringing about the desired state of affairs for people with disabilities at the workplace. Stigma and discrimination in society in general, and at the workplace in particular, are arguably the factors that most have a tendency to perpetuate the marginalization of people with disabilities. There is a strong need for departments to take conscious efforts aimed at eliminating such stigma and discrimination. This would require that workshops and training be conducted for all officials on disability issues for the creation of an enabling climate of appropriate attitudes and sensitivities that are accommodating of people with disabilities. This effort has the effect of instilling change in attitudes towards people with disabilities. There is also a need for putting emphasis and prioritization on considerations of reasonable accommodation and accessibility issues in the operational and budget planning of an organisation, and in so doing, create an enabling environment for people with disabilities. This requires that adequate resources both human and / or capital must be made available.
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2.2 PILLAR 2: EQUALITY OF OPPORUNITIES
“EQUALIZATION OF OPPORTUNITIES”2
Equalization of opportunities means the process through which the general system
of society, such as the physical and cultural environment, housing and
transportation, social and health services, educational and work opportunities,
cultural and social life, including sports and recreational facilities, are made
accessible to all.
As defined in the 1982 World Programme of Action
concerning Disabled Persons
The legislative framework governing human rights in the country provides for measures for targeted groups that are considered ‘positive discrimination’. These measures ensure that the rights of historically disadvantaged groups, including persons with disabilities, are protected and promoted. Where people require differential and preferential treatment to achieve equality, the failure to provide it can impose hurdles, barriers and disadvantages and is therefore considered to be discriminatory. This central principle, “that treating people equally does not necessarily mean treating them the same” is particularly relevant to disabled people and women. This approach is regarded as ‘having equal opportunity” to access a service, employment, information or a physical building. One of the main premises of the philosophy of ‘equality of opportunity’, in general and in the context of disability, is that every human being has something to contribute to humanity and that social structures should be built inclusively with human empowerment as a key goal. Thus full ‘equality of opportunity’ for persons with disabilities entails structural changes, preparing people for greater participation, tackling discrimination in a number of areas and changing social attitudes. Ensuring equalization of opportunities at the workplace also requires that disability responsive recruitment, selection and retention strategies are put in place, and that there is a strong adherence to affirmative action measures. The objective is to ensure that a workplace that is inclusive of people with disabilities is created. The creation of a database of people with disabilities is but one of the strategies that will assist in promoting and advancing the attainment of employment equity targets in respect of people with disabilities in the Public Service. Employing people with disabilities goes hand in hand with the need to retain them. The retention of people with disabilities requires that the workplace be accommodating of people with disabilities. In addition to the provision of reasonable accommodation measures and attending to matters of accessibility, there is also a need for a climate of appropriate attitudes and sensitivities that are accommodating of people with disabilities. A retention strategy should also ensure that employees with disabilities are afforded opportunities for development and upward mobility.
2 UNHCHR
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2.3 PILLAR 3: MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY Mainstreaming of disability does not start at the workplace itself, but in programmes that will ensure true integration of disability in all respects. The capacity of Disability Focal Points and Disability Forums needs to be developed in order to enable them to mainstream disability issues into all projects and programmes of a department. The mainstreaming of disability further requires that there be disability sensitive policies in the workplace. This may require that a research be conducted to establish the extent to which departmental policies are disability sensitive.
While progressive and forward looking legislation and policies can, through their educational effect, bring about a different and conducive milieu, innovative policies and programmes are likely to founder unless a sustained attempt is made to prepare the ground and to educate the workplace and the public at large. This requires that workplace policies be scrutinized to ensure that they are disability sensitive. Furthermore, the standard operating procedures for integration of disability issues into all policies, projects, strategic plans, cluster and sector plans should be put in place and this will ensure that all activities of a department have a disability perspective. There is also a need for a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to be put in place to ensure that progress is made in this regard, and to further ensure that any challenges encountered are identified and immediately addressed. 2.4 PILLAR 4: BARRIER-FREE WORKPLACE The Public Service will be fully inclusive of persons with disabilities when barriers to their participation (whether physical, attitudinal, or otherwise) are removed and people’s impairments are reasonably accommodated. Instances of discrimination that exclude persons with disabilities from various spheres of everyday life need to be identified and tackled. This calls for clear and easily enforceable anti-discrimination strategies that frankly acknowledge the need for positive accommodation of people with disabilities. When a person, particularly a person with a disability requires special services, special facilities or assistive devices to function ‘normally’, it is regarded as reasonable accommodation. It refers to any adjustment to a job, an employment practice, the work environment, or the manner or circumstances under which a position is held or functions performed, that enables a suitably qualified and skilled person with a disability to perform in or apply for and enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment. Reasonable accommodation includes provision of assistive devices to people with disabilities who need them. It is not enough to treat all persons the same, but that added allowance (or reasonable accommodation) may be necessary to make rights “real” for persons with disabilities. It is imperative that a clear understanding of what is meant by ‘reasonable” provisions or accommodation is reached by the employee with the disability and the organization in which the individual is employed or seeking employment. This positive normative development offers great benefits for persons with disabilities and the employer. The issues of reasonable accommodation and accessibility are extensively discussed in the Handbook on Reasonable Accommodation for People with Disabilities in the Public Service which is a guide on related matters. The Constitution guarantees the rights of people with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of society as well as enjoy equal access to opportunities on an equal basis with the rest of society. Public Service policies need to provide for measures which will identify and eliminate such barriers. Full participation by people with disabilities is restricted by three inter-related barriers:
Access - lack of equitable access to opportunities, information, buildings, transport, services, etc.
Discrimination and negative attitudes – prejudice, ignorance and negative stereotyping resulting in negative discrimination or lack of appropriate accommodations.
Poor economic and low social status – a vicious cycle of abject poverty and / or lower economic, educational and health status relative to the rest of the population.
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The concept of universal design promotes the development, availability and utilization of services, goods, equipment, facilities, including housing and public buildings that are designed in such a manner that enables use by all people to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation. This approach encourages thinking about the lifetime utilization of such facilities or services by people with different needs over time. This is a long term perspective which will be cost effective and efficient. There are 7 basic principles to this concept:
Equitable Use – the design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. Flexibility in Use – the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and
abilities. Simple and Intuitive Use – use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s
experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Perceptible Information – the design communicates necessary information effectively to the
user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Tolerance for Error – the design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of
accidental or unintended actions. Low Physical Effort – the design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum
of fatigue. Size and Space for Approach and Use – appropriate size and space is provided for
approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility. 2.4.1 BEYOND BARRIERS Barriers imposed by social attitudes and inaccessibility of work opportunities prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in society and in their place of employment. When Government adopted the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, it was hoped that the equity legislation would actually increase and fast track opportunities for the employment of persons with disabilities, together with the national target that was set for a given timeframe. The Public Service has performed poorly in this regard, recording only 0.16% employment of persons with disabilities by 2005, with the vast majority of them being confined within lower levels. In addition, advancing people with disabilities into management levels has been impeded and exacerbated by numerous barriers at the workplace. Attributing to this low employment figures for this targeted group, in part, is the misconception that accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace is prohibitively costly. This may not necessarily be the case – workplace accommodations and adaptive and assistive devices can be implemented at little or no cost. If cost is not the main barrier, then more needs to change than simply architecture and ergonomics. Whilst physical accessibility for persons with disabilities remains one of the chief concerns around the workplace, other enormous challenges persist around attitudes. Government departments indicate that a critical challenge in trying to advance the employment of persons with disabilities is faced with regard to finding appropriately skilled persons with disabilities. This challenge emerges because traditional labour recruiting sources and methods are used. Impressing a potential employer during an interview and getting a good job offer is difficult for many people. But for persons with disabilities – who must prove that they are as qualified as “able-bodied” candidates – finding any job has its own challenges. Stereotypes and discrimination pose inherent problems in the workplace and thus present greater hurdles for persons with disabilities. The biggest barrier is attitudinal in that some government officials believe that hiring a person with disabilities infers that you are “automatically compromising somehow on the quality or volume of work”.
19
Persons with disabilities most often are only skilled or prepared mainly for entry level positions in the Public Service, while the demands of a rapidly evolving Public Service warrant more experienced and better skilled personnel. Traditional eligibility requirements for employment present barriers to persons with disabilities accessing such employment opportunities. What is needed is a revision of eligibility requirements to give more weight to the degree of functional impairment, which would allow more opportunities for people to both work and receive benefits. The depth of institutional discrimination facing people with disabilities in the workplace ranges from inequality of access to information, technical and assistive devices, personal assistance and transport to built environment. These barriers prevent persons with disabilities from sharing, on the same terms as their ‘able-bodied’ colleagues, on almost all the ‘richness of activities’ in the mainstream work environment. This is further extended to their inability to share activities in mainstream society. Beneath the statistics dealing with participation by persons with disabilities in schools, institutions of higher education, training and education lies an infrastructure of discrimination which separates persons with disabilities from everyday life in society.
“Once social barriers to the re-integration of people with physical impairments are removed, the
disability itself is eliminated. The requirements are for changes to society, material changes to
the environment, changes in environmental control systems, changes in social roles, and
changes in attitudes by people in the community as a whole. The focus is decisively shifted on
to the source of the problem – the society in which disability is created.”
Vic Finkelstein
Attitudes and Disabled People, London, 1980, p.33
Barriers faced at the workplace include emotional, ignorance, physical and attitudinal barriers, which often appear insurmountable. The question that needs to be asked is “what is actually doing the disabling around here anyway – barriers or disabilities?” Surely if these barriers are removed from the Public Service, many of the challenges that are experienced by persons with disabilities will be addressed. A commitment by government officials to this process is therefore critical in assisting to identify, assess and remove these barriers and to move “beyond barriers” to a barrier-free Public Service.
20
SECTION 3: KEY PROCESS INITIATIVES TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOB ACCESS STRATEGY
The four functional pillars explained above are critical to the outcomes anticipated from the Job Access Strategic Framework, each will be discussed in greater detail in the subsequent sections. In order to ensure the understanding of each pillar, unpacking them in terms of each building block is highlighted below. The implementation of the JobAccess Strategic Framework is underpinned by the processes described in the revised Human Resources Development Strategy Process Pillars of Action which are cross-cutting for all Human Resources functions within the public service. The implementation of the conceptual framework is essentially “the how” part of the JobAccess Strategic Framework.
3.1 PILLAR 1: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES This pillar deals with creating an enabling environment for disability equality in the Public Service. This refers to the ethos for promoting the empowerment and equality for people with disabilities. 3.1.1 Capacity Development Initiatives This process pillar recognizes that an enabling environment will not be created until strategic people in the workplace (i.e. Disability Focal Points, Human Resource and line Managers, Disability Forums and arguably all officials) have been capacitated sufficiently to be able to address the task of creating an enabling workplace for people with disabilities. Capacity development is needed in understanding the legal and policy context in which disability management within the Public Service takes place. This necessitates a thorough understanding of the Constitution, the Employment Equity Act, and all other relevant pieces of legislation that impact on disability management in the Public Service. Such capacity development initiatives will of course include acquisition of knowledge of international instruments underpinning disability management, as well as the relevant strategic frameworks that include, but not limited to, the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, 1995, the White Paper on Affirmative Action in the Public Service, 1998, as well as other relevant Codes and strategic frameworks. Through such capacity development exercises, it is envisaged that an understanding of the legal mandate and context of all the relevant Strategic Frameworks will be created, resulting in Disability Focal Points and Disability Forums being capacitated, the former with the knowledge and capacity to implement the JobACCESS Strategic Frameworks, and the latter with capacity to safeguard and to be knowledgeable about workplace rights and obligations. 3.1.2 Organizational Support Initiatives
Organizational Support Initiatives have, as their vocation, the objectives of creating an enabling climate of appropriate attitudes and sensitivities that are accommodative of people with disabilities, as well as putting emphasis and prioritization on considerations of reasonable accommodation and accessibility issues in the operational and budget planning at the workplace, and in so doing, create an enabling environment for people with disabilities. This requires that there must be adequate resources available, both human and capital. The former can be dealt with through the services of non-governmental
The four process pillars of the Human Resource Development Strategy for the Public Service that give effect to the JobAccess Strategic Framework are as follows: Capacity Development Initiatives, Organisational Support Initiatives, Governance and Institutional Development Initiatives, and Economic Growth and Development.
2121
organizations that specialize on issues of disability, whilst the latter can be best addressed through disability sensitive budget allocations within departments. 3.1.3 Governance and Institutional Development Initiatives
The main focus here is the establishment of institutional mechanisms that will drive the JobACCESS strategy in its quest to create an enabling environment for people with disabilities in the Public Service. This will find its expression in ensuring that all departments have dedicated Disability Focal Points, rather than the prevailing status quo where there is one person dealing with various programmes that normally include gender, youth and children, with disability management being an additional project on existing programmes. There is also a need for people with disabilities in the Public Service to establish, and also participate in the Departmental Disability Forums. This will enable them to have a platform where they can share ideas on matters that affect them at the workplace as people with disabilities. A strong monitoring and evaluation, and reporting mechanism will also contribute immensely towards the creation of an enabling environment for people with disabilities. Constant reporting on the progress made in this regard must be encouraged.
3.1.4 Economic Growth and Development Initiatives This process pillar in the context of disability management in the Public Service emphasizes the assumption of ownership of the JobACCESS process by all strategic partners for the eradication of poverty and ensuring economic empowerment for people with disabilities. Organisations of people with disabilities (DPOs) have a role to play in the form of being intermediaries between people with disabilities on the one hand, and government departments on the other on the development programmes and projects for people with disabilities. It then becomes the responsibility of departments to empower DPO’s with such knowledge as is required to enable them to advise their members and other unaffiliated people with disabilities on what particular government departments are there for, and what they can offer to empower and economically develop people with disabilities. Figure 4 provides a schematic representation of this functional pillar with its associated activities, including the transversal process pillars or initiatives.
22
Fig
4:
ST
RATE
GIC
FRA
MEW
ORK
FO
R PI
LLAR
1: E
NABL
ING
ENV
IRO
NMEN
T FO
R DI
SABI
LITY
EQ
UALI
TY
CAPA
CITY
DEV
ELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
O
RGAN
IZAT
IONA
L SU
PPO
RT
INIT
IATI
VES
G
OVE
RNAN
CE &
INST
ITUT
IONA
L DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Know
ledg
e of
lega
l fra
mew
orks
, man
date
s,
polic
ies
& st
rate
gic
fram
ewor
ks (N
atio
nal a
nd
Glo
bal)
Partn
ersh
ips,
em
pow
erm
ent
and
resp
onsi
vene
ss to
G
loba
l Agr
eem
ents
and
Ec
onom
ic D
evel
opm
ent
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUALITY
KEY
INIT
IATI
VES
FOR
GO
VERN
MEN
T’S
PRIO
RITI
ES
Pilla
r 1
STRA
TEG
IC F
OCU
S AR
EAS
STRA
TEG
IC IN
TENT
An u
nder
stan
ding
of t
he m
anda
te a
nd le
gal c
onte
xt o
f th
e St
rate
gic
Fram
ewor
ks c
reat
ed.
Disa
bility
foca
l per
sons
hav
e th
e re
quire
d kn
owle
dge
and
capa
city
to im
plem
ent t
he J
obAC
CESS
Stra
tegi
c Fr
amew
ork;
disa
bility
foru
ms
capa
citat
ed to
saf
egua
rd th
eir
inte
rest
s.
Prov
isio
n of
ade
quat
e re
sour
ces,
and
cre
atin
g co
nduc
ive
orga
niza
tiona
l cu
lture
, dis
abili
ty s
ensi
tive
attit
udes
& m
ind-
shift
s
An e
nabl
ing
clim
ate
of a
ppro
pria
te a
ttitu
des
and
sens
itivitie
s th
at a
re a
ccom
mod
ative
of p
eopl
e wi
th
disa
bilit
ies
crea
ted.
Cons
ider
atio
ns o
f rea
sona
ble
acco
mm
odat
ion
and
acce
ssib
ility
prio
ritize
d in
all M
TEF
and
othe
r pla
nnin
g.
Depa
rtmen
ts h
ave
effe
ctive
and
ded
icate
d di
sabi
lity
foca
l per
sons
to d
rive
the
JobA
CCES
S St
rate
gic
Fram
ewor
k, a
nd v
iabl
e de
partm
enta
l disa
bility
foru
ms
Own
ersh
ip o
f the
Job
ACCE
SS p
roce
ss a
ssum
ed b
y al
l st
rate
gic
partn
ers.
ECO
NOM
IC G
ROW
TH &
DEVE
LOPM
ENT
INIT
IATI
VES
Inst
itutio
nal M
echa
nism
s;
Disa
bilit
y Fo
cal P
oint
s,
Disa
bilit
y Fo
rum
s, M
&E a
nd
repo
rting
mec
hani
sms
Micr
o-in
dica
tors
dev
elop
ed o
n th
e pr
ogre
ss m
ade,
and
co
mpl
ianc
e wi
th th
e re
porti
ng s
yste
ms
in p
lace
.
Erad
icate
pov
erty
and
ens
ure
econ
omic
empo
werm
ent
for p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
23
23
3.2 PILLAR 2: EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 3.2.1 Capacity Development Initiatives
This process pillar recognizes the need to ensure equalization of opportunities and treatment for people with disabilities in the Public Service. This requires that different measures be taken to enhance skills and develop capacity in people with disabilities. This will be achievable through a variety of means that include, but not limited to, skills development in the form of awarding bursaries, offering of PSETA learnerships, traineeships, mentoring, coaching or internships. These measures will put people with disabilities on equal basis with other people in terms of the acquisition of skills. The Leadership pipeline and development management will help in ensuring that a plan or pathway for upward development for people with disabilities is put in place. 3.2.2 Organisational Support Initiatives A workplace that is conducive for people with disabilities, with disability sensitive policies on recruitment and skills development measures will assist in ensuring equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities. This will in turn assist in the achievement of the 2% minimum target for people with disabilities in the Public Service. The strategic intent here is to ensure accessibility into employment and upward mobility especially increasing representation at SMS levels for people with disabilities through reasonable accommodation measures and skills development at the workplace. 3.2.3 Governance and Institutional Development Initiatives It is the government’s objective that the Public Service should be inclusive of persons with disabilities. This is in accordance with the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, 1995. As a result of the inability of the Public Service to meet the minimum employment equity target as therein stipulated in respect of people with disabilities, fast tracking the employment of people with disabilities needs to be ensured. This entails attaining the Cabinet approved numeric targets through Affirmative Action and other measures. This will include the establishment and maintenance of databases for people with disabilities seeking employment in the Public Service. In this regard, the Department of Labour, as well as institutions of learning can be best utilized. Some applications for employment that have not been successful, but worthy to be considered for other jobs should be recorded in the database and properly archived. The Department of Public Service and Administration, in collaboration with the Office on the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the Presidency, should be instrumental in establishing the said database. 3.2.4 Economic Growth and Development Initiatives The strategic focus area under this process pillar is job creation and poverty alleviation among people with disabilities. In order to ensure that this is achieved, focus needs to be put on educational and economic development of this target group. Such a focus on educational development, in addition to other measures will ensure that eventually, a pool of employable persons with disabilities is created or established. Employment of some of this core group will be a step towards ensuring that poverty is eradicated. Figure 5 provides a schematic representation of this functional pillar with its activities, including the transversal process pillars or initiatives;
24
Fig
5:
ST
RATE
GIC
FRA
MEW
ORK
FO
R PI
LLAR
2: E
QUA
LITY
OF
OPP
ORT
UNIT
IES
CAPA
CITY
DEV
ELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
ORG
ANIZ
ATIO
NAL
SUPP
ORT
IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
GO
VERN
ANCE
&
INST
ITUT
IONA
L DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Lead
ersh
ip p
ipel
ine
and
de
velo
pmen
t thr
ough
bu
rsar
ies,
trai
nees
hips
, le
arne
rshi
ps, m
ento
ring,
co
achi
ng a
nd s
kills
de
velo
pmen
t man
agem
ent
Jo
b cr
eatio
n an
d po
verty
al
levi
atio
n AN
D in
tegr
atin
g ec
onom
ic e
mpo
wer
men
t int
o ex
istin
g se
ctor
spe
cific
st
rate
gies
EQUITY (EQUALITY OF
OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT)
KEY
INIT
IATI
VES
FOR
GO
VERN
MEN
T’S
PRIO
RITI
ES
Pilla
r 2
STRA
TEG
IC F
OCU
S AR
EAS
STRA
TEG
IC IN
TENT
Plan
or p
athw
ay fo
r upw
ard
deve
lopm
ent f
or p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
put
in p
lace
.
Diffe
rent
mea
sure
s fo
r dev
elop
ing
skills
and
cap
acity
in
peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es ta
ken.
Cond
uciv
e w
orkp
lace
for
peop
le w
ith d
isab
ilitie
s, w
ith
disa
bilit
y se
nsiti
ve p
olic
ies
on re
crui
tmen
t and
ski
lls
deve
lopm
ent
The
achi
evem
ent o
f 2%
min
imum
targ
et fo
r peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es in
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
.
Acce
ss in
to e
mpl
oym
ent a
nd u
pwar
d m
obilit
y es
pecia
lly in
crea
sing
repr
esen
tatio
n in
SM
S le
vel
thro
ugh
reas
onab
le a
ccom
mod
atio
n an
d w
orkp
lace
sk
ills d
evel
opm
ent.
Publ
ic Se
rvice
inclu
sive
of p
erso
ns w
ith d
isabi
lities
ECO
NOM
IC G
ROW
TH &
DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
The
fast
trac
king
of e
mpl
oym
ent o
f peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
with
in th
e Pu
blic
Serv
ice is
ens
ured
.
Setti
ng a
nd a
ttain
ing
num
eric
ta
rget
s th
roug
h Af
firm
ativ
e Ac
tion
and
othe
r mea
sure
s,
and
esta
blis
hing
and
m
aint
aini
ng d
atab
ases
of
peop
le w
ith d
isab
ilitie
s
Erad
icatio
n of
pov
erty
and
wea
lth c
reat
ion
for p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
.
Erad
icatio
n of
pov
erty
am
ong
peop
le w
ith d
isabi
lities
. Fo
cus
on e
duca
tiona
l & e
cono
mic
empo
werm
ent.
.
25
3.3 PILLAR 3: MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY 3.3.1 Capacity Development Initiatives This process pillar in the context of mainstreaming of disability issues entails the development of capacity of Disability Focal Points and all officials to mainstream disability issues at the workplace. Such capacity development initiative will enable Disability Focal Points to drive and oversee the mainstreaming in the organization. It needs to be ensured that all policies, projects, programmes and day to day work of government departments have a disability perspective. All officials need to undergo training and attend workshops on mainstreaming of disability in the Public Service workplace. 3.3.2 Organisational Support Initiatives Standard operating procedures need to be developed for the integration of disability issues into all policies, projects and strategic plans of departments. This requires that adequate resources be provided in each department in order to drive the disability agenda, thus ensuring that disability issues are affirmed at the workplace. 3.3.3 Governance and Institutional Development Initiatives To ensure that disability mainstreaming is entrenched at the highest level, there is a need for a strong monitoring and evaluation, and reporting framework and guidelines. This will have the effect of ensuring a well coordinated, well structured and aligned agenda and plan of action in driving the mainstreaming of disability issues. 3.3.4 Economic Growth and Development Initiatives The focus entails ensuring that all economic empowerment programmes available in the departments must be made accessible to people with disabilities as well. This requires that the information on them is made accessible to people with different types of disabilities. Liaising with disabled peoples’ organizations on such programmes will ensure that information on such opportunities is filtered down to relevant people with disabilities. Figure 6 provides a schematic representation of the functional pillar on the mainstreaming of disability issues in the Public Service, including the transversal process pillars or initiatives;
26
STR
ATEG
IC F
RAM
EWO
RK F
OR
PILL
AR 3
: DIS
ABIL
I TY
MAI
NSTR
EAM
ING
FI
G. 6
:
GO
VERN
ANCE
&
INST
ITUT
IONA
L DE
VELO
PMEN
TINI
TIAT
IVES
O
RGAN
IZAT
IONA
L SU
PPO
RT
INIT
IATI
VES
Deve
lopi
ng c
apac
ity o
f Di
sabi
lity
Foca
l Poi
nts
and
all
offic
ials
to m
ains
tream
di
sabi
lity
into
all
proj
ects
, pr
ogra
mm
es a
nd p
olic
ies
thro
ugh
train
ing
or
wor
ksho
ps
Deve
lopm
ent o
f sta
ndar
d op
erat
ing
proc
edur
es fo
r in
tegr
atio
n of
dis
abili
ty
issu
es in
to a
ll po
licie
s,
proj
ects
, stra
tegi
c pl
ans,
M
TEF,
clu
ster
and
sec
tor
plan
s
Resp
onsi
vene
ss to
MDG
s,
Glo
bal A
gree
men
ts a
nd
play
ing
a ro
le in
Afri
ca,
acce
ssib
le p
rogr
amm
es o
n ec
onom
ic e
mpo
wer
men
t; AS
GIS
A, J
IPSA
, EPW
P, P
GDP
MAINSTREAMING OF
DISABILITY ISSUES
Pi
llar 3
ST
RATE
GIC
FO
CUS
AREA
S ST
RATE
GIC
INTE
NT
ECO
NOM
IC G
ROW
TH &
DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Deve
lop
orga
nisa
tion’
s di
sabi
lity
polic
y an
d se
ctor
m
ains
tream
ing
stra
tegy
, M
&E, a
nd re
porti
ng
fram
ewor
ks a
nd g
uide
lines
CAPA
CITY
DEV
ELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Crea
te c
apac
ity to
mai
nstre
am d
isabi
lity is
sues
into
all
prog
ram
mes
and
pro
ject
s
Capa
citat
e DF
Ps to
be
able
to d
rive
and
over
see
the
mai
nstre
amin
g of
disa
bilit
y in
the
orga
niza
tion
To e
nsur
e th
at d
isab
ility
issu
es a
re ta
ken
into
co
nsid
erat
ion
in a
ll act
ivitie
s of
a d
epar
tmen
t to
ensu
re
a be
tter l
ife fo
r peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es
Prov
ision
of a
dequ
ate
reso
urce
s fo
r driv
ing
the
disa
bility
age
nda
in d
epar
tmen
ts
Acco
unta
bility
for d
isabi
lity m
ains
tream
ing
at th
e hi
ghes
t lev
el. D
isabi
lity d
isagg
rega
ted
and
disa
bility
an
alys
is fo
r bet
ter p
lann
ing
that
inco
rpor
ates
disa
bility
pe
rspe
ctive
All w
ork
of th
e de
partm
ent t
o in
corp
orat
e ag
enda
for
econ
omic
deve
lopm
ent f
or a
bet
ter l
ife fo
r peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
.
Ensu
re a
wel
l coo
rdin
ated
, wel
l stru
ctur
ed a
nd a
ligne
d ag
enda
and
pla
n of
act
ion
in d
rivin
g di
sabi
lity e
qual
ity
All p
rogr
amm
es o
n ec
onom
ic em
powe
rmen
t hav
e di
sabi
lity p
ersp
ectiv
e
27
3.4 PILLAR 4: BARRIER-FREE WORKPLACE
3.4.1 Capacity Development Initiatives A barrier free workplace needs to be created to ensure that people with disabilities are provided with
equal chances for empowerment and development both as employees of the State and as clients or
users of government’s services. Training and programmes on disability management will help in identifying barriers to access for people
with disabilities as well as measures that need to be taken in order to eradicate those barriers, thus
creating an environment that is conducive for disability equality at the workplace.
3.4.2 Organisational Support Initiatives The objective for disability management under this process pillar is to ensure that a supportive and
accessible workplace for people with disabilities is created. This requires that guidelines on
accessibility, reasonable accommodation or assistive devices need to be put in place in order to
address issues that hinder advancement of people with disabilities in the workplace.
3.4.3 Governance and Institutional Development Initiatives Organisational baseline survey needs to be undertaken in order to identify factors that hinder the
conduciveness of the workplace for the advancement of people with disabilities, as well as identifying
barriers to achieving disability equality in the workplace. An Organisational Readiness Assessment Tool
will come in handy in this regard. Awareness-raising through organizational climate surveys,
questionnaires, forums, as well as the evaluation of the communication strategies are but some of the
measures that can be put in place to achieve that purpose.
3.4.4 Economic Growth and Development Initiatives The emphasis under this process pillar is the development of stakeholder partnerships for alleviation of
poverty and economic growth for people with disabilities. The strategic objective is the establishment of
collaborative strategic partnerships in promoting economic and educational empowerment for people
with disabilities. This will range from provision of PSETA learnerships and internships that target people
with disabilities, as well as making budgets available for awarding bursaries to learners with disabilities,
with workplace attachments on completion of studies. This necessitates that collaborative partnerships
with disabled peoples’ organisations and institutions of higher learning be forged.
Figure 7 provides a schematic representation of this functional pillar with its activities, including the
transversal process pillars or initiatives.
28
Fig
7:
ST
RATE
GIC
FRA
MEW
ORK
FO
R PI
LLAR
4: B
ARRI
ER-F
REE
WO
RKPL
ACE
FOR
ADVA
NCEM
ENT
OF
PEO
PLE
WIT
H DI
SABI
LITI
ES.
GO
VERN
ANCE
&
INST
ITUT
IONA
L DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
ORG
ANIZ
ATIO
NAL
SUPP
ORT
IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
CAPA
CITY
DEV
ELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Tr
aini
ng a
nd p
rogr
amm
es o
n di
sabi
lity
man
agem
ent
G
uide
lines
on
Acce
ssib
ility
, re
ason
able
acc
omm
odat
ion
or a
ssis
tive
devi
ces
Stak
ehol
der p
artn
ersh
ip
deve
lopm
ent f
or p
over
ty
alle
viat
ion
and
econ
omic
gr
owth
for p
eopl
e w
ith
disa
bilit
ies
(bur
sarie
s;
inte
rnsh
ips
or le
arne
rshi
ps)
CREATING A
BARRIER FREE WORK PLACE
KEY
INIT
IATI
VES
FOR
GO
VERN
MEN
T’S
PRIO
RITI
ES
Pilla
r 4
STRA
TEG
IC F
OCU
S AR
EAS
STRA
TEG
IC IN
TENT
Erad
icate
all b
arrie
rs to
acc
ess
for p
eopl
e wi
th
disa
biliti
es in
to a
nd a
cros
s al
l em
ploy
men
t lev
els
Crea
ting
an e
nviro
nmen
t tha
t is
cond
ucive
for d
isab
ility
equa
lity
Addr
essin
g iss
ues
that
hin
der a
dvan
cem
ent o
f pwd
’s in
the
work
plac
e
A su
ppor
tive
and
acce
ssib
le w
orkp
lace
for p
eopl
e wi
th
disa
biliti
es c
reat
ed.
Iden
tify
fact
ors
that
hin
der t
he c
ondu
civen
ess
of
work
plac
e fo
r adv
ance
men
t of p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
.
Colla
bora
tion
with
stra
tegi
c pa
rtner
s in
pro
mot
ing
econ
omic
and
educ
atio
nal e
mpo
werm
ent f
or p
eopl
e wi
th d
isab
ilitie
s EC
ONO
MIC
GRO
WTH
&
DE
VELO
PMEN
T IN
ITIA
TIVE
S
Aw
aren
ess-
rais
ing
thro
ugh
orga
niza
tiona
l clim
ate
surv
eys,
que
stio
nnai
res,
fo
rum
s, a
nd c
omm
unic
atio
n st
rate
gy, e
tc.
Iden
tify
barri
ers
to a
chie
ving
disa
bility
equ
ality
. Co
mm
unica
tion
for e
ffect
ive a
cces
s to
ser
vices
by
peop
le w
ith d
isabi
lities
.
Erad
icat
ion
of h
ouse
hold
pov
erty
and
cre
ate
econ
omic
oppo
rtuni
ties
29
SECTION 4: OUTLINE OF THE JOBACCESS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
Based on the concepts and principles set forth in the previous sections of this document, a detailed
outline of the Job ACCESS Strategy is presented in this section of the document.
4.1 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND SUB-OBJECTIVES
Table 1 presents each component of the conceptual approach in the strategy in the form of strategic
objectives and sub-objectives as a basis for planning and strategic action. The strategic objectives are
those four objectives that represent each pillar of the strategy as presented in the conceptual framework
diagram. The intervention or initiative of each pillar is presented as a sub-objective. These sub-
objectives are the focal points of the strategic framework and the basis of the activities to be undertaken.
The sub-objectives are analysed and presented in a way that ensures that the practical implications of
each is clear.
30
Tabl
e 1:
Stra
tegi
c O
bjec
tives
and
Sub
-Obj
ectiv
es o
f Job
ACCE
SS S
trate
gy
O
BJEC
TIVE
S FO
R TH
E JO
BACC
ESS
STRA
TEG
Y EM
ERG
ING
OUT
OF
THE
CONC
EPTU
AL F
RAM
EWO
RK F
OR
DISA
BILI
TY M
ANAG
EMEN
T
CR
ITIC
AL C
OM
PONE
NTS
OF
THE
JOBA
CCES
S ST
RATE
GY
ST
RATE
GIC
OBJ
ECTI
VES
SU
B-O
BJEC
TIVE
S
1.
Vi
sion
Pr
omot
ion
of a
visi
on th
at is
pro
perly
co
mm
unica
ted,
inst
itutio
naliz
ed a
nd
man
aged
To
esta
blish
an
ov
errid
ing
visio
n fo
r th
e Jo
bACC
ESS
Stra
tegy
whi
ch c
an s
erve
as
a ve
hicle
towa
rds
the
desir
ed s
tate
of a
ffairs
in
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
Com
mun
icate
an
d pr
omot
e a
com
mon
vis
ion
stat
emen
t fo
r th
e Jo
bACC
ESS
Stra
tegy
in th
e Pu
blic
Serv
ice
2.
Ke
y In
itiat
ives
/ Fu
nctio
nal P
illar
s fo
r Gov
ernm
ent’s
prio
ritie
s
1.
Enab
ling
envi
ronm
ent f
or
Disa
bilit
y Eq
ualit
y / o
r peo
ple
with
dis
abili
ties
Capa
city
Dev
elop
men
t Ini
tiativ
es fo
r an
incl
usiv
e Pu
blic
Ser
vice
- K
nowl
edge
of l
egal
fram
ewor
ks, m
anda
tes,
po
licie
s an
d St
rate
gic
Fram
ewor
ks (N
atio
nal
and
Glo
bal)
An
und
erst
andi
ng o
f the
man
date
and
lega
l con
text
of t
he S
trate
gic
Fram
ewor
ks c
reat
ed.
Disa
bility
foca
l per
sons
hav
e th
e re
quire
d kn
owle
dge
and
capa
city
to im
plem
ent t
he J
obAC
CESS
Stra
tegi
c Fr
amew
ork.
Depa
rtmen
tal d
isabi
lity fo
rum
s em
powe
red
to s
afeg
uard
the
inte
rest
s of
em
ploy
ees
with
disa
biliti
es.
31
CR
ITIC
AL C
OM
PONE
NTS
OF
THE
JOBA
CCES
S ST
RATE
GY
ST
RATE
GIC
OBJ
ECTI
VES
SU
B-O
BJEC
TIVE
S
O
rgan
isat
iona
l Sup
port
Initi
ativ
es fo
r an
incl
usiv
e Pu
blic
Ser
vice
- P
rovis
ion
of a
dequ
ate
reso
urce
s, a
nd
crea
ting
cond
ucive
org
aniza
tiona
l cul
ture
, di
sabi
lity s
ensit
ive a
ttitu
des
and
min
d-sh
ifts.
An
ena
blin
g cli
mat
e of
app
ropr
iate
atti
tude
s an
d se
nsitiv
ities
that
ar
e ac
com
mod
atin
g of
peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es c
reat
ed.
Co
nsid
erat
ions
of r
easo
nabl
e ac
com
mod
atio
n an
d ac
cess
ibilit
y pr
iorit
ized
in a
ll MTE
F an
d ot
her p
lann
ing.
G
over
nanc
e an
d In
stitu
tiona
l Ini
tiativ
es
- Ins
titut
iona
l Mec
hani
sms,
Disa
bility
Foc
al
Poin
ts, D
isabi
lity F
orum
s, M
onito
ring
and
Eval
uatio
n, a
nd re
porti
ng m
echa
nism
s.
De
partm
ents
hav
e ef
fect
ive a
nd d
edica
ted
disa
bility
foca
l per
sons
to
driv
e th
e Jo
bACC
ESS
Stra
tegi
c Fr
amew
ork.
Micr
o-in
dica
tors
dev
elop
ed o
n th
e pr
ogre
ss m
ade,
and
com
plia
nce
with
the
repo
rting
sys
tem
s in
pla
ce.
Econ
omic
Gro
wth
and
Dev
elop
men
t In
itiat
ives
- P
artn
ersh
ips,
Em
powe
rmen
t and
Re
spon
siven
ess
to G
loba
l Agr
eem
ents
and
Ec
onom
ic De
velo
pmen
t
O
wner
ship
of t
he J
obAC
CESS
pro
cess
ass
umed
by
all s
trate
gic
partn
ers.
Erad
icate
pov
erty
and
ens
ure
econ
omic
empo
werm
ent f
or p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
.
Capa
city
Dev
elop
men
t Ini
tiativ
es
- Lea
ders
hip
pipe
line
and
skills
dev
elop
men
t th
roug
h bu
rsar
ies,
trai
nees
hips
, lea
rner
ship
s,
men
torin
g an
d co
achi
ng.
Pl
an o
r pat
hway
for u
pwar
d de
velo
pmen
t for
peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
put
in p
lace
.
Diffe
rent
mea
sure
s fo
r dev
elop
ing
and
enha
ncin
g sk
ills a
nd
capa
city
in p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
take
n.
2. E
qual
ity o
f Opp
ortu
nitie
s an
d Tr
eatm
ent
Org
aniz
atio
nal S
uppo
rt In
itiat
ives
- C
ondu
cive
work
plac
e fo
r peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
, with
disa
bility
sen
sitive
pol
icies
on
recr
uitm
ent a
nd s
kills
deve
lopm
ent
Th
e ac
hiev
emen
t of 2
% m
inim
um ta
rget
for p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
in
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
.
Acce
ssib
ility
into
em
ploy
men
t and
upw
ard
mob
ility
espe
cially
in
crea
sing
repr
esen
tatio
n in
SM
S le
vels
thro
ugh
reas
onab
le
acco
mm
odat
ion
in th
e wo
rkpl
ace
and
skills
dev
elop
men
t, bu
rsar
ies
and
othe
r mea
sure
s.
32
CR
ITIC
AL C
OM
PONE
NTS
OF
THE
JOBA
CCES
S ST
RATE
GY
ST
RATE
GIC
OBJ
ECTI
VES
SU
B-O
BJEC
TIVE
S
G
over
nanc
e an
d In
stitu
tiona
l Dev
elop
men
t In
itiat
ives
- S
ettin
g an
d at
tain
ing
num
erica
l tar
gets
th
roug
h Af
firm
ative
Act
ion
and
othe
r m
easu
res.
Pu
blic
Serv
ice in
clusiv
e of
per
sons
with
disa
biliti
es.
The
fast
trac
king
of e
mpl
oym
ent o
f peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es w
ithin
th
e Pu
blic
Serv
ice is
ens
ured
.
Ec
onom
ic G
row
th a
nd D
evel
opm
ent
Initi
ativ
es
- Job
cre
atio
n an
d po
verty
alle
viatio
n an
d in
tegr
atin
g ec
onom
ic em
powe
rmen
t int
o ex
istin
g se
ctor
spe
cific
stra
tegi
es.
Er
adica
tion
of p
over
ty a
nd w
ealth
cre
atio
n fo
r peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
.
Erad
icatio
n of
pov
erty
am
ong
peop
le w
ith d
isabi
lities
. Foc
us o
n ed
ucat
iona
l & e
cono
mic
empo
werm
ent.
3. M
ains
tream
ing
of D
isab
ility
Issu
es
Capa
city
Dev
elop
men
t Ini
tiativ
es
- Dev
elop
ing
capa
city
of D
isabi
lity F
ocal
Poi
nts
and
all o
fficia
ls to
mai
nstre
am d
isabi
lity in
to a
ll pr
ojec
ts, p
rogr
amm
es a
nd p
olici
es th
roug
h tra
inin
g an
d wo
rksh
ops.
Cr
eate
cap
acity
to m
ains
tream
disa
bility
issu
es in
to a
ll pr
ogra
mm
es a
nd p
roje
cts.
Capa
citat
e Di
sabi
lity F
ocal
Poi
nts
to b
e ab
le to
driv
e an
d ov
erse
e th
e m
ains
tream
ing
of d
isabi
lity is
sues
in th
e or
gani
zatio
n.
O
rgan
izat
iona
l Sup
port
Initi
ativ
es
- Dev
elop
men
t of s
tand
ard
oper
atin
g pr
oced
ures
for i
nteg
ratio
n of
disa
bility
issu
es
into
all p
olici
es, p
roje
cts,
stra
tegi
c pl
ans,
M
TEF,
clu
ster
and
sec
tor p
lans
.
To
ens
ure
that
disa
bility
issu
es a
re ta
ken
into
con
sider
atio
n in
all
work
of t
he d
epar
tmen
t to
ensu
re a
bet
ter l
ife fo
r peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
.
Prov
ision
of a
dequ
ate
reso
urce
s fo
r driv
ing
the
disa
bility
age
nda
in
depa
rtmen
ts.
Gov
erna
nce
and
Inst
itutio
nal D
evel
opm
ent
Initi
ativ
es
- Dev
elop
org
anisa
tion’
s di
sabi
lity p
olicy
and
se
ctor
mai
nstre
amin
g st
rate
gy, m
onito
ring
and
eval
uatio
n, a
nd re
porti
ng fr
amew
ork
and
guid
elin
es
Ac
coun
tabi
lity fo
r disa
bility
mai
nstre
amin
g at
the
high
est l
evel
. Di
sabi
lity d
isagg
rega
ted
and
disa
bility
ana
lysis
for b
ette
r pla
nnin
g th
at in
corp
orat
es d
isabi
lity p
ersp
ectiv
e.
En
sure
a w
ell c
oord
inat
ed, w
ell s
truct
ured
and
alig
ned
agen
da a
nd
plan
of a
ctio
n in
driv
ing
disa
bility
equ
ality
.
33
CR
ITIC
AL C
OM
PONE
NTS
OF
THE
JOBA
CCES
S ST
RATE
GY
ST
RATE
GIC
OBJ
ECTI
VES
SU
B-O
BJEC
TIVE
S
Ec
onom
ic G
row
th a
nd D
evel
opm
ent
Initi
ativ
es
Resp
onsiv
enes
s to
MDG
s, G
loba
l Agr
eem
ents
an
d pl
ayin
g a
role
in A
frica
, and
acc
essib
le
prog
ram
mes
on
econ
omic
empo
werm
ent
Al
l wor
k of
the
depa
rtmen
t to
inco
rpor
ate
agen
da fo
r eco
nom
ic de
velo
pmen
t for
a b
ette
r life
for p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
.
All p
rogr
amm
es o
n ec
onom
ic em
powe
rmen
t mus
t hav
e di
sabi
lity
pers
pect
ive.
4. C
reat
ing
a Ba
rrie
r Fre
e W
orkp
lace
Ca
paci
ty D
evel
opm
ent I
nitia
tives
- P
rogr
amm
es a
nd tr
aini
ng o
n di
sabi
lity
man
agem
ent t
hat i
nflu
ence
org
aniza
tiona
l cu
lture
and
wor
kpla
ce a
ttitu
des.
Er
adica
te a
ll bar
riers
to a
cces
s fo
r peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es in
to a
nd
acro
ss a
ll em
ploy
men
t lev
els.
Crea
ting
an e
nviro
nmen
t tha
t is
cond
ucive
for d
isabi
lity e
qual
ity.
Org
aniz
atio
nal S
uppo
rt In
itiat
ives
- G
uide
lines
on
acce
ssib
ility,
and
pro
visio
n of
re
ason
able
acc
omm
odat
ion
or a
ssist
ive
devic
es
Ad
dres
sing
issue
s th
at h
inde
r adv
ance
men
t of p
eopl
e wi
th
disa
biliti
es in
the
work
plac
e.
A su
ppor
tive
and
acce
ssib
le w
orkp
lace
for p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
cr
eate
d.
Gov
erna
nce
and
Inst
itutio
nal D
evel
opm
ent
Initi
ativ
es
- Rai
sing
awar
enes
s th
roug
h or
gani
zatio
nal
clim
ate
surv
eys,
que
stio
nnai
res,
foru
ms,
and
co
mm
unica
tions
stra
tegi
es, e
tc.
Id
entif
y fa
ctor
s th
at h
inde
r the
con
duciv
enes
s of
wor
kpla
ce fo
r ad
vanc
emen
t of p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
.
Id
entif
y ba
rrier
s to
ach
ievin
g di
sabi
lity e
qual
ity. C
omm
unica
tion
for
effe
ctive
acc
ess
by p
eopl
e wi
th d
isabi
lities
to s
ervic
es.
Econ
omic
Gro
wth
and
Dev
elop
men
t In
itiat
ives
- S
take
hold
er p
artn
ersh
ip d
evel
opm
ent f
or
pove
rty a
llevia
tion
and
econ
omic
grow
th fo
r pe
ople
with
disa
biliti
es th
roug
h bu
rsar
ies,
le
arne
rshi
ps o
r int
erns
hips
.
Co
llabo
ratio
n wi
th s
trate
gic
partn
ers
in p
rom
otin
g ec
onom
ic an
d ed
ucat
iona
l em
powe
rmen
t for
peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es.
Er
adica
tion
of h
ouse
hold
pov
erty
and
cre
atio
n of
eco
nom
ic op
portu
nitie
s fo
r peo
ple
with
disa
biliti
es.
34
SECTION 5: STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ADVANCING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
There are strong grounds for government action to improve the life chances of persons with disabilities. Supporting and empowering persons with disabilities to help themselves will improve their participation and inclusion in the community, in the labour market and in society. This will deliver social and economic benefits for all of society – and all of society needs to be involved. The strategic approach adopted in this framework combines key elements that are required for the overall success of this initiative which is required for the short, medium and long-term success of this initiative. These key elements are:
Employability; helping more people with disabilities into jobs; Equality of opportunity in the workplace; Improving health and well-being of persons with disabilities in the workplace; Retention of people with disabilities within the public service by creating better jobs, improving
accessibility and developing skills and capacity; and Fostering collaborative partnerships between government departments and disabled people’s
organizations. 5.1 Employability: Helping more people into jobs The JobACCESS Strategy intends to deliver some significant improvements in the employment prospects of people with disabilities - with further action to support people with disabilities in the labour market. Research evidence showed a strong case for a more focused action so that any person with a disability who wants a job, and needs support to get a job, should be able to do so wherever feasible. Activities of departments in this area will focus on:
Providing effective early support and guidance to those who need it to overcome barriers to work;
Improving the skills and access to in-work support needed to enhance employability of people with disabilities (learnerships, internships, mentorships, coaching, or awarding of bursaries to people with disabilities);
Connecting people with disabilities with work by making transition to employment less risky and complicated;
Engaging departments to improve their attitudes towards people with disabilities and their understanding of what it means to employ a person with a disability; and
Building information networks to bring together and disseminate important information to people with disabilities, departments, strategic partners and communities.
5.2 Equality of opportunity in the workplace
Departments must act to identify the disabling environments, attitudes, and disproportionate social barriers;
All staff in the department must be engaged on identifying and agreeing on the barriers – in attitudes, policy, physical environment, and communication – and tangible commitment for shared ownership of solutions;
Budget must be made available to provide support to meet additional needs where appropriate; assessment of need, identification of available resources, and personalized responses to need, which enable choice and control;
Departments must create a culture of inclusion and remove barriers that have an effect of excluding and / or discriminating against people with disabilities; and
35
Departments must make adjustments that enable people with disabilities to contribute – as employees, consumers of services and partners (reasonable accommodation and accessibility).
5.3 Improving health and well-being The key aim of the Health and Wellness Programme is to promote government’s policies and programmes to reduce inequality of access in health and well-being. Medical services and good health should be accessible to all, including people with disabilities. Quality of work life and wellbeing, providing better policy and advice allows persons with disabilities who require advice on benefits and social care services access to expert advisors from the Health and Wellness team. 5.4 Retention Departments must always endeavour to retain their workforce with disabilities i.e. those who already had a disability at the time of employment, and those who acquire disability whilst already in the system. This can be ensured by, among others, making the built-environment accessible to people with disabilities, provision of reasonable accommodation where the need has been identified, or request has been duly made. The developing of skills and capacity, or adjustment or reassigning of duties could be but some of the avenues that can be considered that have the effect of retaining people with disabilities. 5.5 Partnerships with disabled peoples’ organizations The need for partnerships between government departments and disabled peoples’ organizations can never be overemphasized. This is especially so when one takes into account the strategic position that the organizations occupy. They can be of great use for the purposes of recruitment, as well as dissemination of information that can be of benefit to people with disabilities. They can also be utilized as sources of information on issues pertaining to disability at the workplace.
36
Tabl
e 2:
Stra
tegi
c Ap
proa
ch fo
r the
JO
BACC
ESS
Stra
tegy
in th
e Sh
ort,
Med
ium
and
Lon
g Te
rm
Sh
ort-T
erm
Obj
ectiv
es
M
ediu
m-T
erm
Obj
ectiv
es
Long
-Ter
m O
bjec
tives
Stra
tegi
c ap
proa
ch
Incr
ease
d re
pres
enta
tion
of
and
parti
cipat
ion
by
pers
ons
with
disa
biliti
es w
ithin
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
. In
crea
sed
acce
ss to
PSE
TA le
arne
rshi
ps.
Esta
blish
ed
partn
ersh
ips
with
Di
sabl
ed
Peop
les’
Org
anisa
tions
. Co
nduc
ive w
orkp
lace
for
the
wel
l-bei
ng o
f em
ploy
ees
with
disa
biliti
es
Incr
ease
d re
pres
enta
tion
of
and
parti
cipat
ion
by
pers
ons
with
disa
biliti
es w
ithin
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
, pa
rticu
larly
at S
MS
leve
ls
Equa
lizat
ion
of
oppo
rtuni
ties
thro
ugh
mai
nstre
amin
g an
d ot
her i
nitia
tives
Sk
ills a
nd c
apac
ity d
evel
opm
ent
thro
ugh
train
ing
and
deve
lopm
ent p
hase
Inclu
sive
Publ
ic Se
rvice
em
ploy
ing
a ca
dre
of
well
skille
d an
d ca
pacit
ated
pe
rson
s wi
th
disa
biliti
es a
t all l
evel
s in
cludi
ng S
MS.
Targ
et D
ate
Min
imum
2%
em
ploy
men
t of p
erso
ns w
ith d
isabi
lities
by
31
Mar
ch 2
010
Min
imum
2%
PSE
TA le
arne
rshi
ps fo
r peo
ple
with
di
sabi
lities
by
31 M
arch
200
8
Proa
ctive
rec
ruitm
ent,
empl
oym
ent
and
rete
ntio
n of
pe
rson
s wi
th
disa
biliti
es
with
in
the
Publ
ic Se
rvice
. De
liber
ate
inclu
sion
of p
erso
ns w
ith d
isabi
lities
in
all P
SETA
lear
ners
hips
.
Inclu
sive
Publ
ic Se
rvice
tha
t va
lues
dive
rsity
, bo
th in
recr
uitm
ent a
nd e
mpl
oym
ent o
n th
e on
e ha
nd,
and
deve
lopm
ent
thro
ugh
burs
arie
s,
lear
ners
hips
, tra
inee
ship
s,
men
tors
hip
and
coac
hing
. M
acro
-In
dica
tor/s
Min
imum
2%
per
sons
with
disa
biliti
es e
mpl
oyed
Pe
rson
s wi
th d
isabi
lities
rea
sona
bly
acco
mm
odat
ed
and
supp
orte
d wi
th a
ppro
pria
te a
ssist
ive d
evice
s In
crea
sed
acce
ss b
y pe
rson
s wi
th d
isabi
lities
to h
ealth
ca
re, e
duca
tion,
skil
ls de
velo
pmen
t, ho
usin
g, e
cono
mic
oppo
rtuni
ties,
inf
orm
atio
n, t
echn
olog
ies,
fin
ance
and
m
icro-
cred
it.
HR a
nd o
ther
rel
evan
t po
licie
s re
viewe
d, a
nd w
here
ne
cess
ary,
new
pol
icies
form
ulat
ed.
A ca
dre
of c
apac
itate
d an
d sk
illed
work
forc
e of
per
sons
wi
th d
isabi
lities
cre
ated
thro
ugh
lear
ners
hips
and
oth
er
deve
lopm
ent m
easu
res.
Ut
ilisat
ion
of
Disa
bled
Pe
ople
’s O
rgan
isatio
ns
and
othe
r ne
twor
ks
for
esta
blish
men
t of
da
taba
ses
of
pers
ons
with
disa
biliti
es.
Exce
ed
2%
empl
oym
ent
of
pers
ons
with
di
sabi
lities
In
crea
sed
repr
esen
tatio
n of
pe
rson
s wi
th
disa
biliti
es in
SM
S le
vels
Trai
ning
pro
gram
me
for
skills
dev
elop
men
t fo
r pe
rson
s wi
th d
isabi
lities
con
duct
ed.
Non-
disc
rimin
ator
y re
crui
tmen
t pr
actic
es
that
se
ek to
adv
ance
per
sons
with
disa
biliti
es.
37
Sh
ort-T
erm
Obj
ectiv
es
M
ediu
m-T
erm
Obj
ectiv
es
Long
-Ter
m O
bjec
tives
Mic
ro-in
dica
tors
In
form
atio
n is
avai
labl
e in
Bra
ille,
audi
o an
d th
roug
h sig
n la
ngua
ge in
terp
reta
tion
Phys
ical i
nfra
stru
ctur
e an
d fa
cilitie
s ha
ve ra
mps
, voi
ce
prom
pt l
ifts,
app
ropr
iate
hum
an s
uppo
rt m
echa
nism
s av
aila
ble,
wid
er e
ntra
nces
, acc
essib
le p
arkin
g ba
ys e
tc.
Num
ber o
f int
erns
em
ploy
ed.
A cu
lture
of a
cces
sibilit
y, b
oth
to in
form
atio
n an
d to
the
bui
lt-en
viron
men
t cu
ltivat
ed i
n th
e Pu
blic
Serv
ice.
A ba
rrier
-free
Pu
blic
Serv
ice
that
at
tract
s pe
ople
with
disa
biliti
es a
nd is
acc
essib
le to
, and
ca
n al
so
be
reas
onab
ly ac
com
mod
ative
of
th
em.
38
SECTION 6: STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION FOR JOBACCESS STRATEGY The strategy is divided into four main objectives consistent with the four pillars depicted in the conceptual framework. For instance, Table 3 presents a description of each of the items covered in outlining each sub-objective of the strategy. For each objective, sub-objectives and activities are outlined. The sub-objectives are essentially the key focus areas that are depicted in the boxes of each pillar of the conceptual framework. The activities, as outlined in the tables to follow, seek to elaborate on the priorities and interventions that are intended to achieve each strategic objective and its associated sub-objectives. Also described in the table for each sub-objective is the rationale for the approach to be undertaken in achieving the intended outcomes. These together seek to clarify the meaning, scope and reach of the outlined sub-objective. When completed, the outline for each sub-objective represents a guide or road map for implementation. Table 3: Description of items in the JobACCESS Strategy
AREA OF PRESENTATION
INTENT AND DESCRIPTION
1. Strategic Objective
The strategic objectives are the objectives noted to represent each pillar of the strategy as presented in the conceptual framework diagram. There are four strategic objectives – one to represent each pillar of the strategy. The strategic objective is identified on the outline of each sub-objective.
2. Sub-objective
Each pillar of the strategy is divided into the interventions or initiatives which are embodied in that pillar. Each intervention or initiative is presented as a sub-objective. These sub-objectives are the focal points of the strategic framework and the basis of the activities to be undertaken. The sub-objectives are analysed and presented to ensure that the practical implications of each is clear.
3. Success Indicators
Success indicators are the performance expectations for each sub-objective. They seek to identify exactly what outcomes are expected as a result of the intervention made.
4. Rationale and Strategic Focus
The rationale and strategic focus seek to present the justification for undertaking the initiative and the sub-objective. They present the reason why the initiative was selected from the host of other interventions which could have been made.
39
AREA OF PRESENTATION
INTENT AND DESCRIPTION
5. Approach
The approach presents a brief statement about the manner in which the sub-objective will be accomplished. It is the method for accomplishing the sub-objective. The statement of approach is critical since it gives meaning to the sub-objective. In many cases, the objective will be unclear until the statement of approach is presented. There are many options available for undertaking the initiatives and interventions noted. The approach section seeks to sketch the manner in which the sub-objective will be accomplished. In some cases, it seeks to note the manner in which responsibilities will be allocated.
6. Activities
The activities associated with the particular sub-objective are the specific actions that will be undertaken in order to accomplish the sub-objective in reference. These activities are the items that will eventually be subjected to the timeframes, support, and monitoring and evaluation. Activities are not exhaustive, and may not be tailored to the specific circumstances of the respective department. In this regard, when a department presents its plan to respond to the strategic framework it may be necessary to include activities that are not listed here. It will be noted on each sheet that the listing of activities also assists in clarifying what is intended with the sub-objective being outlined.
40
Table 4: The Strategic Plan of Action
Strategic Objective 1:
(ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUALITY)
To create an enabling environment for disability equality in order to achieve inclusive Public Service CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 1.1
Success Indicators
Empower with knowledge of legal Frameworks and mandates, and policies and strategic frameworks.
General understanding of the mandate and legal context of the strategic frameworks
Disability Focal Persons have the required knowledge and are capacitated to implement the JobACCESS Strategic Framework
Departmental Disability Forums have such knowledge to enable them to safeguard their interests.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Disability Focal Points need to have a strong background understanding of what they are expected to implement, and the success or failure of such an implementation hinges on the extent to which knowledge is embedded in them. The same goes with the departmental disability forums. They need to be empowered with regard to the contents and provisions of the strategic framework and policy issues espoused in order for them to lead in ensuring an enabling environment. Approach Disability Focal Points and Disability Forums need to be capacitated and made aware of the legal mandate and frameworks designed for the advancement of persons with disabilities in employment. Activities for Sub-Objective 1.1 1. Workshops and training on the legal frameworks and mandates (nationally and globally) for Disability Focal points and departmental disability forums need to be developed (PALAMAI).
41
Strategic Objective 1: (ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUALITY)
To create an enabling environment for disability equality in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES Sub-Objective 1.2
Success Indicators
Creating an organizational culture which is disability sensitive and which also ensures attitudes and mind-shifts.
An enabling climate of appropriate attitudes and sensitivities that are accommodating of people with disabilities created.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Many people at the workplace are not sensitized enough in as far as disability issues are concerned. This on many occasions tends to create negative attitudes towards people with disabilities. Such negative attitudes constitute one of many forms of barriers experienced by people with disabilities at the workplace. Approach There is a need to ensure that negative attitudes against people with disabilities are removed, and a healthy atmosphere that is accommodative of people with disabilities created. Activities for Sub-Objective 1.2 1. Awareness raising on disability and sensitization workshops and training on disability need to be rolled out in all the departments.
Sub-Objective 1.3
Success Indicators
Provision of adequate resources to deal with issues pertaining to disability
Considerations of reasonable accommodation and accessibility prioritized in all MTEF and other planning.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Issues of reasonable accommodation and accessibility are not always given the priority attention they deserve. This tends to result in some form of barrier for people who have a disability, or have acquired disability already in the system, and retention of people with disabilities is thereby compromised. Approach Departments must consciously endeavor to ensure that all budgetary considerations and other planning are disability sensitive. Activities for Sub-Objective 1.3 1. All MTEF and other planning must be disability sensitive.
42
Strategic Objective 1:
(ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUALITY) To create an enabling environment in order to achieve an inclusive Public Service
GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES Sub-Objective 1.4
Success Indicators
To establish institutional mechanisms, with effective monitoring and evaluation system, and reporting mechanisms, in order to drive the implementation of the JobACCESS Strategy.
Departments have effective Disability Focal
Persons to drive the JobACCESS Strategic Framework at the workplace.
Micro-indicators developed by departments as appropriate
All departments have effective Disability Forums.
Rationale and Strategic Focus There is a need for the appointment of dedicated Disability Focal Points in all departments. Experience has shown that disability issues have always been dealt with as additional issues to other issues that are dealt with by a single person in a department. This has resulted in issues of disability not being given the necessary attention they deserve. There is also a need for the establishment of Departmental Disability Forums to enable people with disabilities to discuss and deal with issues pertaining to disability at the workplace. Approach Adequate human and financial resources need to be put in place for the establishment of the effective institutional mechanisms. Activities for Sub-Objective 1.4 1. Budgets must be made available for the appointment of dedicated disability forums 1. Departmental disability forums must be established in departments. 1. Periodical preparation and submission of reports on the progress made in implementing the JobACCESS strategy periodically submitted to the Steering Committee.
43
Strategic Objective 1: (ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUALITY)
To create an enabling environment in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 1.5
Success Indicators
Promote partnerships and empowerment that is responsive to global and economic development.
Ownership of the JobACCESS process taken by all
strategic partners to ensure that the aims and objectives therein enshrined are carried out.
Poverty eradicated, economic empowerment for people with disabilities ensured.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Projects and programmes in departments that are intended to uplift the communities do not always involve people with disabilities. Departments need to ensure that projects and programmes that are aimed at the economic development of the community must also target people with disabilities. Approach Stakeholder partnership development for economic growth; people with disabilities must be included in all programmes for poverty alleviation. Activities for Sub-Objective 1.5 1. Economic growth opportunities must be created for eradication of household poverty for people with disabilities. 2. Programmes on economic empowerment must have disability perspective. 1. Poverty eradication and economic empowerment for people with disabilities must be ensured.
44
Strategic Objective 2:
(EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT)
To promote equality of opportunities and treatment in order to achieve inclusive Public Service CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 2.1
Success Indicators
Capacity development for people with disabilities
Plan or pathway for upward development for
people with disabilities put in place at the workplace.
Different measures for developing skills and capacity in people with disabilities taken.
A pool of skilled and employable people with disabilities created.
Rationale and Strategic Focus There is a need to properly enhance and develop skills in people with disabilities in order to render them more employable. They need to be capacitated and empowered with the necessary skills to enable them to compete in the open labour market. The strategic focus here is to ensure that departments commit to the development of the pool of competent employable people with disabilities. Approach There is a need to come up with strategies that will have the effect of making sure that people with disabilities acquire such skills that will enhance their employable in the open labour market, and in particular in the Public Service. Activities for Sub-Objective 2.1 1. PSETA learnerships to have the minimum of 2% learners with disabilities 2. Bursaries introduced and offered to learners with disabilities with workplace attachments 3. Coaching, mentorships, internships for people with disabilities
45
Strategic Objective 2: (EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT)
To promote equality of opportunities and treatment in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 2.2
Success Indicators
Creating a conducive workplace and utilizing the 1% levy for training, recruitment and skills development
Achievement of 2% minimum target for people with
disabilities in the Public Service Accessibility into employment and upward mobility
through reasonable accommodation and skills development in the workplace.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Efforts must be made to ensure that the minimum of 2% people with disabilities is achieved by 31 March 2010. Such efforts must invariably include the utilization of the 1% levy for training and development. Approach It must be ensured that people with disabilities are also included in the 1% levy for training and development Activities for Sub-Objective 2.2 1. HR Practices: 1% levy for training, recruitment and skills development 2. Provision of bursaries and other measures for skills development
46
Strategic Objective 2:
(EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT)
To promote equality of opportunities and treatment in order to achieve inclusive Public Service GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 2.3
Success Indicators
Attaining numeric targets through Affirmative Action and other special measures. 2% minimum for PSETA learnerships by 31 March 2008, and 2% minimum employed in the Public Service by 31 March 2010.
Employment of people with disabilities meeting the
minimum target of 2% in the Public Service. Public Service inclusive of people with disabilities. A significant increase in the number of learnerships
or internships for people with disabilities.
Rationale and Strategic Focus There is a need to ensure that the Public Service is truly representative of the people of South Africa. This can only be so when people with disabilities constitute at least 2% minimum of the Public Service workforce. The strategic focus here is to consciously take measures that are designed to ensure the massive recruitment, employment and retention of people with disabilities. Approach The Public Service strategy intends to deliver significant improvements in the employment of persons with disabilities into the Public Service, and the recruitment for learnerships, internships or traineeships. There is a need therefore for strict compliance with Human Resource practices and policies for the recruitment, selection and retention of persons with disabilities. Activities for Sub-Objective 2.3 1. PSETA learnership targets must be set for people with disabilities. 2. Effective Human Resource practices and policies for recruitment, selection and retention of persons with disabilities to be strictly observed. 3. Effective use of Affirmative Action and other special measures 4. Clear Employment Equity targets and workplace skills plan must be put in place. 5. Partnerships with disabled peoples’ organizations and other specialist providers must be forged to assist with the recruitment of people with disabilities for PSETA learnerships and for employment.
47
Strategic Objective 2: (EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT)
To promote equality of opportunities and treatment in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 2.4
Success Indicators
Promoting learnerships for job creation and poverty alleviation and integrating economic empowerment to existing sector specific strategies.
Poverty eradicated and wealth created for people
with disabilities. Focus on educational and economic empowerment
ensured.
Rationale and Strategic Focus There is a correlation between disability and poverty. People with disabilities tend to be the poorest of the poor, and live in abject poverty. Government interventions on poverty alleviation should not leave out this targeted group. Approach Empowering people with disabilities with skills that will render them employable will constitute a huge contribution towards poverty alleviation for this targeted group. Activities for Sub-Objective 2.4 1. PSETA learnerships by departments for people with disabilities, targeting the Cabinet approved 2% minimum. 2. Departments must budget for bursaries that target people with disabilities with workplace attachments. 3. All departments’ developmental programmes to be disability sensitive.
48
Strategic Objective 3: (MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY)
To promote the mainstreaming of disability in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 3.1
Success Indicators
Developing capacity of Disability Focal Points, and all officials through training and workshops to enable them to mainstream disability issues.
Disability issues mainstreamed into all programmes
and projects Disability Focal Points capacitated to oversee the
mainstreaming of disability issues in the organization.
Rationale and Strategic Focus There is a lack of capacity to mainstream issues of disability in the workplace. This tends to lead to the neglect and the consequent marginalization of people with disabilities. Approach Steps need to be undertaken to ensure that there is mainstreaming of disability in the workplace, and that all activities of departments have a disability perspective. Activities for Sub-Objective 3.1 1. There must be training of all officials so that they can be capacitated and be able to mainstream disability issues into all programmes and projects. 2. Disability Focal Points also need to be capacitated to be able to drive and oversee the mainstreaming of disability in the organization.
49
Strategic Objective 3: (MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY)
To promote the mainstreaming of disability in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 3.2
Success Indicators
Integration of disability issues into all policies, projects, strategic plans, MTEF, cluster and sector plans.
Disability issues taken into account in all work of
the department to ensure a better life for all, including people with disabilities.
Adequate resources provided for driving disability agenda in the departments.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Disability issues have in many instances not been taken forward due to inadequate resources, and that some policies, strategic and sector plans have not been taking or putting issues of disability in the forefront. There is a need for disability issues to be considered in all the activities, policies or projects of departments. Approach It must be ensured that day-to-day activities of departments must always take issues of disability into account. Activities for Sub-Objective 3.2 1. Departments must ensure that their policies, strategic and sector plans have disability considerations. 2. Departmental projects must include people with disabilities.
50
Strategic Objective 3: (MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY)
To promote the mainstreaming of disability in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 3.3
Success Indicators
Promoting effective monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on organization’s disability policy, disability audits and sector mainstreaming strategy.
Accountability for mainstreaming of disability Disability disaggregated and disability analysis for
better planning that incorporates disability perspective
Well coordinated and aligned agenda and plan of action in driving disability equality.
Rationale and Strategic Focus A major challenge identified with regard to the mainstreaming of disability in the workplace has been alluded to the ineffective Monitoring and Evaluation system at the workplace. There is therefore a need for this mechanism to be in place. Approach The lack of effective Monitoring and Evaluation system has been identified as one of the reasons that have contributed to the inability of the Public Service to meet its Cabinet approved target. There is therefore a need for such a monitoring and evaluation mechanism. At the departmental level, the M&E system should be aligned to the government-wide M&E Framework. Departments would be expected to develop micro-indicators as appropriate. At the Public Service level, (Steering Committees) will play the M&E role. Activities for Sub-Objective 3.3 1. Micro-indicators must be developed by departments as appropriate 2. Periodical reports prepared for submission to the National Steering Committee
51
Strategic Objective 3: (MAINSTREAMING OF DISABILITY)
To promote the mainstreaming of disability in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 3.4
Success Indicators
Promoting responsiveness to Millenium Development Goals, and playing a role in programmes on economic empowerment.
All work of the departments incorporate agenda for economic development for a better life for people with disabilities.
All programmes on economic empowerment have disability perspective.
Rationale and Strategic Focus People with disabilities need to play a role in all economic empowerment programmes that are geared towards poverty alleviation. Such programmes therefore need to recognize the diversity of society, and the unequal abilities of access to them. Approach All programmes for economic growth and empowerment must have disability considerations. Activities for Sub-Objective 3.4 1. All departments that manage programmes geared for economic growth and development for communities must also ensure that these are accessible to people with disabilities.
52
Strategic Objective 4:
(CREATING A BARRIER FREE WORKPLACE)
To create a barrier free workplace in order to achieve inclusive Public Service CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 4.1
Success Indicators
Formulating programmes and training on disability management issues.
All barriers to access into and across all
employment levels eradicated. Conducive environment for disability equality
created. Issues of reasonable accommodation and
accessibility understood by all in an organization.
Rationale and Strategic Focus In order to create a barrier free workplace, all staff needs to be conversant and be aware of issues pertaining to disability. Approach All officials must undergo disability awareness programmes and training. Activities for Sub-Objective 4.1 1. Departments must organize workshops on disability. 2. Links with disabled peoples’ organizations, or other relevant service providers must be forged in the process of developing the content of the training on disability.
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Strategic Objective 4:
(CREATING A BARRIER FREE WORKPLACE)
To create a barrier free workplace in order to achieve inclusive Public Service ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 4.2
Success Indicators
Promoting accessibility and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities.
A supportive and accessible workplace for people
with disabilities created.
Rationale and Strategic Focus Issues of accessibility and reasonable accommodation have contributed to the inability of the Public Service as an employer to meet its Cabinet stipulated minimum target, and these have consequently rendered people with disabilities incapable of accessing available employment opportunities in the Public Service. Approach There is a need for the provision of organizational support so that the right set of responses to challenges can be explored in response to the unique circumstances presented by particular settings, as once these are overcome people with disabilities will be thereby capacitated. A case in point will be the ease of access to built-environments, and to information in a proper format, as well the provision of reasonable accommodation in deserving cases. Activities for Sub-Objective 4.2 1. Reasonable accommodation measures must form part of the standard planning, budgeting and implementation procedures in all departments. 2. Departments must develop, in consultation with all line function managers, a policy for budgeting for, planning for and implementing of reasonable accommodation measures. 3. Departments must take such necessary measures to ensure that there is easy access both to the built-environment, and to information at their disposal.
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Strategic Objective 4: (CREATING A BARRIER FREE WORKPLACE)
To create a barrier free workplace in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 4.3
Success Indicators
Establish organizational climate through surveys, questionnaires (Organisational Readiness Assessment Tool), forums, etc for purposes of awareness raising and sensitization with effective communication strategy.
Factors that hinder the conduciveness of the
workplace identified. Barriers to achieving disability equality / equity
identified. Barriers to disability equality and conduciveness of
the workplace eliminated. A culture of inclusion created.
Rationale and Strategic Focus It is the combination of factors that have resulted in the inability of the Public Service to meet its employment equity target pertaining to disability. These can only be tackled once identified. The strategic focus here is to bring about an environment that is accommodative of people with disabilities. Approach Identification and elimination of barriers or factors to disability equality and equity is the prerequisite to bringing about an environment that is conducive for people with disabilities. Such factors occur at an organizational level, hence the need to have the surveys, questionnaires and establishment of the forums conducted at an organizational level. Activities for Sub-Objective 4.3 1. Identify the disabling environments, attitudes, and disproportionate social barriers. 2. Identify barriers in policy and communication strategies.
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Strategic Objective 4: (CREATING A BARRIER FREE WORKPLACE)
To create a barrier free workplace in order to achieve inclusive Public Service
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Sub-Objective 4.4
Success Indicators
Stakeholder partnership development for poverty alleviation and economic growth for people with disabilities through bursaries, internships or learnerships.
Household poverty eradicated and economic
opportunities created for people with disabilities. Strategic partnerships for promoting economic and
educational empowerment for people with disabilities established.
Rationale and Strategic Focus People with disabilities need to play a role in all economic empowerment programmes that are geared towards poverty alleviation. Such programmes therefore need to recognize the diversity of society, and the unequal abilities of access to them. Approach All programmes for economic growth and empowerment must have disability considerations. Activities for Sub-Objective 4.4 4.1.1 All departments that manage programmes geared for economic growth and development to ensure that these are accessible to people with disabilities. 4.1.2 Departments to ensure that such programmes also have disability perspective.
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SECTION 7: MONITORING AND EVALUATION An effective, efficient and implementable monitoring and evaluation system is required if this Public Service Strategy is to be successful in achieving national priorities. Such a system can be developed for both, the individual department level, and for the Public Service level. At the departmental level, the monitoring and evaluation system should be aligned to the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. Departments would be expected to develop micro-indicators as appropriate. At the Public Service level, the dpsa is proposing a Monitoring and Evaluation system comprising various Steering Committees for the Human Resource Management and Development components. These Steering Committees will communicate and inform policy amendment and development, other interventions as well as provide a reporting platform for the achievement of equity targets. The steering committee for disability will be constituted of 9 Provincial representatives (from the Office of the Premier) and at national level, representatives from departments responsible for disability issues. The Steering Committee will be coordinated through the DDG-HRM&D within the dpsa and will meet on a quarterly basis, culminating in an annual forum. A report from these monitoring meetings will be forwarded to the DG: dpsa on a biannual basis. The Persal system will also be of assistance as a monitoring and evaluation tool as it will be able to indicate the increase or decrease in the number of employees with disabilities in the Public Service. The periodic reports of the Public Service Commission, with their own indicators will provide an overall picture of the performance of the Public Service with regard to the implementation of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework. The Implementation Guidelines will carry a questionnaire to be completed quarterly by each department to assess its progress in the implementation of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework. As already intimated above, departments must develop their own specific outcome indicators to which they must aspire and against which they must measure their progress. Each department’s monitoring and evaluation system of the framework will have to incorporate indicators on disability. In essence, the main features of the implementation of the JobACCESS Strategic Framework are as follows:-
An Implementation Guide which incorporates the Organisational Readiness Assessment Tool, and Annual Implementation Plan
Quarterly Monitoring and Evaluation meetings to provide public service organizations with the opportunity to report on progress in implementation at the Steering Committee meeting.
Biannual reporting to the DG: DPSA on progress made An annual Steering Committee meeting to track progress on Implementation. An annual Performance Progress Report
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