Briefing by Public Service Commission on Disability Study

Meeting report

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE
12 June 2002
BRIEFING BY PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ON DISABILITY STUDY

Chairperson: Ms H I Bogopane (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Briefing by Public Service Commission

SUMMARY
The Public Service Commission presented a report on the conditions and situations that are encountered by disabled people in the service of the government of South Africa. They highlighted the challenges that are faced by disabled people in the workplace, but also provided some recommendations, which they said are not conclusive but a beginning to a debate about more solutions to the problems of disabled people. The next issue on the agenda was the appointment of Members who were going to represent the Committee on various deliberations involving youth and children.

MINUTES
Disability Equity Report
Ms O Ramisingl presented the PSC report on disability study. She started by giving out the background to the report. The report was an indictment of the stated intentions of government and raised alarm bells. The target of employing 2% people with disability by 2002 would not be met. This study is a comprehensive assessment of disability equity in the public service, all aspects related to disability equity. It aims to initiate the interventions and act as impetus for realisation of target.

Ms Ramisingl then looked at the methodology used to compile the report. She said a positive feature about the study was the use of a participatory research methodology, engaging both government and non-government organisations. This approach has captured a wide and divergent range of views, and recognises the complexities and interdependencies disability equity poses.

Ms Ramisingl then looked at the limitations that were encountered during the time the study was conducted. The quality of information received was often submitted late or incomplete.
Free state, Northwest and Mpumalanga, were not included for analysis as there was less than 50% returns. The National Department of Labour did not submit information and was not included. No standardised definition exists as to what constitutes disability in the government. This could lead to large discrepancies.

Ms Ramisingl then gave the key findings of the study. She stated that the figure of disabled people at national level was 0.47 % and 0.16 % at provincial level. This represents 0.25 % which is far off the 2 % target. Only three National Departments have reached the target of 2 %, namely Education, Sports and Recreation and SAMDI. It is evident that at the current rate of progress, the target of 2 % will not be met. Gender and race disparities are Evident: 67 % males and 33% females and disabled African women are the worst off contending with race and gender discrimination.

More than 50 % of the people with disability are employed at the most junior levels (1-5). It is clear that people with disabilities are confined to relatively low levels of authority and power, thus impeding their influence over decision making.

Ms Ramisingl said that there is a lack of innovation and creativity in recruiting people with disabilities. Over 65 % of departments use generic methods of recruitment. There remains a tension between mainstreaming versus specific targeting. Persistent use of generic methods in recruitment coupled with low levels of outreach has little success in recruitment.
Past educational policies and employment practices served to discriminate against people with disabilities. The true potential of people with disabilities is not realised.

Ms Ramisingl also said that the question of budget to support disability equity, integration and inclusion was examined. The budgets are mainly used for infrastructure such as making buildings more accessible, Braille signage and voice prompts in lifts, etc. These should not be seen as 'special' favours but very real 'instruments' needed to perform everyday work.

Ms Ramisingl then reported on recommendations made by the Commission. Addressing the issue of affirmative action should go beyond mere compliance and be a genuine effort to integrate and empower people with disabilities. A series of interventions is required to assist the acceleration of disability equity in a practical manner. A more supportive environment, in the form of practical assistance and supportive devices and accommodation is needed. Serious attention must be paid to reviewing strategies in as far as recruitment and selection is concerned. The DPSA needs to explore using more creative and innovative recruiting mechanisms. Where possible persons with disabilities should sit on selection panels.

Ms Ramisingl also said that the skill base of people with disabilities must be improved, to enhance the employment of people with disabilities. The Joint Monitoring Committee on Children, Youth and Disabled Persons should utilise the findings of this report in its domain to advance progress with regard to disability equity.

Ms Ramisingl concluded that this investigation has met the objectives set out. It has managed through participatory processes and intensive engagement to raise awareness around disability equity in the public service. It is now incumbent upon departments and provincial administrations to vigorously address disability equity.

Discussion
Mr Raju (ANC) said that it is disturbing to note that the situation of the disabled persons in the government is far from reaching the 2% target and that disabled people held low- level jobs and thus do not have a voice in decision making at executive levels. He felt strongly that the situation should be given serious consideration and that employers should not employ disabled people only to comply with the affirmative action but must employ the disabled people genuinely and in competent positions.

Mr Sithole replied that the Public Sector Commission would like to start a project in which the government would be in the proactive in disability equity especially in being active in the recruitment of disabled people. He said noted that there was a problem of other people who did not want to be labelled as disabled and this posed a problem of redressing disability inequalities. He also advised the committee that the target of 2% was not legally enforceable, as it is not in found in any legislation but in the White Paper, which was simply a statement of intent. However, he stated that secondary legislation could be used to rectify the problem. Later during the meeting, Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) commented that disabled people did not want to disclose their disabilities because of the fear of prejudice on applying for a job and because of some barriers that disabled people experience in the workplace.

Mr Setona (ANC) commended the PSC for the survey report. He was, however, concerned about the lack of a common definition of disability. He reckoned that the government should have a basic definition of disability because it had a White Paper on the Integrated National Disability Strategy. He also wanted to know if the lack of a common definition of disability was a wider problem. One member of the delegation said that the definition of disability was a global challenge. Later during the meeting, the Chairperson commented that there was a need for guidelines in defining disability.

Ms Ghandi (ANC) wanted to which departments were said to have distributed their vacancy advertisements to disabled people organisations.

Ms Ramsingh listed the Departments of Education, Justice and Constitutional Development, Land Affairs, SAMDI, Statistics South Africa and Social Development.

Ms Ghandi also asked if the PSC found the employers sensitive towards the needs of disabled people. She asked whether the PSC had suggestions on ways to reach disability equity targets. She then made a suggestive comment about the Department of Public Service and Administration giving incentives to Departments that employ disabled people in order to encourage employment of disabled people, as a similar system proved to work in Germany even though it is done in the private sector.

Ms Ramsingh said that such an issue needed discussion in which the Committee should be involved.

Mr Dithebe (ANC) commended the PSC for the survey report. He then asked if the Commission has gone back to the three provinces that were not included in the analysis because there was a less than 50% response and also to the Department of labour, which did not respond at all.

Ms Ramsingh said that there was no follow up yet. Later during the meeting, the Chairperson said that the Committee noted with concern that the Department of Labour did not submit a report to the Commission but that they will find a way to deal with that as a Committee.

Mr Moss (ANC) commended the PSC for the good report. He asked what steps have been taken to improve the innovative and creative means of recruiting disabled people.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) also asked what the PSC was doing to ensure that the recruitment agencies had enough information about disabled people.

Ms Ramsingh said that Departments should move away from using generic ways of recruitment, as they are not effective. If the government could move away from these generic means of recruitment, there can be improvement in the ways of recruitment such as the ones used by the six Departments. She added that it would work together with disabled people's organisations when there was a vacant post and that the Commission wished that there could be a database with information on the needs of the disabled people but unfortunately the database did not exist.

The Chairperson wanted to know the terms on which the Departments of Education, Sports and Recreation and the SAMDI were reaching the 2% disability equity target. He also wanted to know if there was a statistical breakdown according to types of disability. One member of said that the national department of education was had twelve disabled people and the other two departments had two in each. She added that unfortunately the disabled people were employed in lower positions. She felt that managers should be encouraged to employ disabled people in high positions. She however, observed that manager could not foresee the number of the disabled people that would be employed and which resources would be needed and this has a great impact on the budgets and therefore, there should be flexibility with regards to budgetary issues.

Mr Raju (ANC) wanted to know why disabled people were not trained in the workplace. Ms Ramsingh said that the reasons were, budget constraints and that there were no budgets specifically for training people with disabilities.

Ms Ghandi commented that departments should be opened to further contacts with the PSC, maybe for further discussions.

Having concluded the consideration of the Public Service Commission report the Chairperson noted the need for the appointment of Members of the Committee who will represent the Committee on different deliberation concerning the issues of children and the youth. Five members
Having concluded should be elected, three from the ANC and two from the opposition. Five other people should be appointed for a visit by the Committee to two provinces, again three from the ANC and two from the opposition. The parties should start to think about the provinces they think should be visited.

The Chairperson also commented that the Molosongololo report has been resolved and that there will be a workshop on the 19 June 2002. The report to the United Nations will be presented on the 19 July 2002 and the Committee will try to work on the integrated report.

The meeting was adjourned.