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GO GEORGE staff sensitised to the world of persons with disabilities

DISABILITY RIGHTS AWARENESS MONTH
GO GEORGE staff sensitised to the world of persons with disabilities
Issued 7 November 2022
 
“Knowledge does not lead to change – understanding does.”
This statement was the point of departure during a series of sensitisation workshops with GO GEORGE frontline staff presented by Glen Fortuin, Community Development Worker at the George Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD).
 
With November being Disability Rights Awareness Month, GO GEORGE is once again collaborating with key stakeholders who take an interest in people with disabilities, to raise awareness and achieve greater efficiency towards an inclusive service. The focus is on the attributes of GO GEORGE that make it accessible to all and to empower the community to access work, economic and educational opportunities.
 
Persons with disabilities include those who have perceived and or actual physical, psychosocial, intellectual, neurological and/or sensory impairments and who, as a result of various attitudinal, communication, physical or information barriers, are hindered in participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others.
According to Morné Lakay, Acting GO GEORGE Manager, the bus service aims to empower frontline staff such as Call Centre agents, information officers and communication champions with skills to support persons with disabilities. “We want to assist with the process of attitude change among passengers. People’s intentions might be pure, but they might not know how to approach a person with a disability when offering assistance. We need to keep in mind that not all disabilities are visible when we interact with people in public and that many people might require different ways of interaction. People might refer to ‘wheelchair-bound’ people while the correct terminology is wheelchair users – Glen rightfully taught us that a wheelchair is a mode of transport and not a prison,” he said.
 
A few hints from Glen Fortuin:
• Always speak to the person with the disability and not the person accompanying them.
• Do not push a person’s wheelchair without their permission.
• When talking to a wheelchair user, sit on a chair so that you sit at their eye level.
• People using canes or crutches need their arms to balance themselves, so never grab them by the arm.
• Be prepared to offer assistance to persons with limited hand, wrist or arm function.
• If the person is unable to shake your hand, it is acceptable to fist-bump or put your hand on their arm or shoulder.
• For people with hearing loss, speak one at a time; don’t cover your mouth; face them while talking.
Anyone with a disability feeling uncertain about using the GO GEORGE bus service is welcome to phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044 to request personal guidance and assistance by passenger support staff.
 
CAPTIONS:
Glen Fortuin, Community Development Worker at the George Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD), explains the importance of being sensitive towards people with invisible disabilities too.
 
 
BEWUSMAKINGSMAAND VIR DIE REGTE VAN PERSONE MET GESTREMDHEDE
GO GEORGE-personeel gesensitiseer om die wêreld van persone met gestremdhede te verstaan
Uitgereik 7 November 2022
 
“Kennis lei nie tot verandering nie, maar begrip wel.”
Hierdie stelling was die vertrekpunt tydens ‘n reeks sensitiseringswerkswinkels met GO GEORGE-frontliniepersoneel wat deur Glen Fortuin, gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerker by die George Vereniging vir Persone met Gestremdhede (George APD), aangebied is.
Met November wat die bewusmakingsmaand vir persone met gestremdhede is, werk GO GEORGE weereens saam met belanghebbendes in dié sektor om bewustheid te verhoog en groter doeltreffendheid vir ‘n inklusiewe diens te bereik. Die fokus is op die eienskappe van GO GEORGE wat dit vir almal toeganklik maak en om die gemeenskap te bemagtig om toegang tot werk-, ekonomiese en opvoedkundige geleenthede te verkry.
 
Persone met gestremdhede sluit in diegene wat fisiese, psigososiale, intellektuele, neurologiese en/of sensoriese gestremdhede het en wat as gevolg van verskeie houdings-, kommunikasie-, fisiese of inligtingshindernisse verhoed word om ten volle en effektief, op gelyke basis met ander in die samelewing deel te neem.
Volgens Morné Lakay, waarnemende GO GEORGE-bestuurder, het die busdiens ten doel om frontliniepersoneel soos inbelsentrumagente, inligtingsbeamptes en passasiersdiensbeamptes te bemagtig met vaardighede om persone met gestremdhede te ondersteun. “Ons wil help met die proses van houdingsverandering onder passasiers. Mense se bedoelings kan suiwer wees, maar hulle weet dalk nie hoe om ‘n persoon met ‘n gestremdheid te benader wanneer hulle hulp aanbied nie. Ons moet in gedagte hou dat nie alle gestremdhede sigbaar is wanneer ons met mense in die openbaar omgaan nie, en dat mense verskillende maniere van interaksie benodig. Iemand kan na ‘rolstoelgebonde’ mense verwys terwyl die korrekte terminologie rolstoelgebruikers is – Glen het ons met reg geleer dat ‘n rolstoel ‘n vervoermiddel is en nie ‘n tronk nie,” het hy gesê.
 
‘n Paar wenke van Glen:
• Praat altyd met die persoon met die gestremdheid en nie die persoon wat hulle vergesel nie.
• Moenie ‘n rolstoel sonder die gebruiker se toestemming stoot nie.
• Wanneer jy met ‘n rolstoelgebruiker praat, sit op ‘n stoel sodat jy op hul oogvlak sit.
• Mense wat kieries of krukke gebruik, het hul arms nodig om hulself te balanseer, so moenie hulle ooit aan die arm gryp nie.
• Wees gereed om hulp aan persone met beperkte hand-, pols- of armfunksie te bied.
• As die persoon nie jou hand kan skud nie, is dit aanvaarbaar om vuis te stamp of jou hand op hul arm of skouer te sit.
• Vir mense met gehoorverlies, praat een op ‘n slag; moenie jou mond bedek nie; praat met jou gesig na hulle gedraai.
Enigiemand met ‘n gestremdheid wat onseker voel oor die gebruik van die GO GEORGE-busdiens is welkom om die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044 te skakel om persoonlike leiding en hulp deur passasiersondersteuningspersoneel te versoek.
 
BYSKRIFTE:
Glen Fortuin, gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerker by die George-vereniging vir persone met gestremdhede (APD), verduidelik hoe belangrik dit is om ook sensitief te wees teenoor mense met onsigbare gestremdhede.