October is not just Mental Health Month. October is also Life Esidimeni Month. Let us hope it is Accountability Month, as well. It is now three months since Judge Teffo’s ruling that criminal charges be brought against, among others, Qedani Mahlangu, the former Gauteng Health MEC, and Dr Makgabo Manamela. The Timeline In October 2015 the former Gauteng MEC Qedani Mahlangu announced the termination of its contract with Life Esidimeni, a private healthcare provider caring READ MORE
Category: Disability Advocacy
Podcast: The Challenges of Disability Advocacy
In Season 1, Episode 1, hosts Jeremy Opperman and Jeremy Warriner of the Rotary Disability Advisers Group have a lively discussion on the challenges of disability advocacy and the need to encourage not only changes in approaches to disability rights but also to thinking. Both are members of Rotary International and they share a vision of that organisation being more inclusive for people with disabilities, Each host comes from a different perspective on the READ MORE
A Brief Overview of Blindness in South Africa
by Jeremy Opperman and Lois Strachan To say that South Africa was a complex country with regard to disability in general and blindness in particular would be a woeful understatement. Some explanation and historical context may be helpful. South Africa as a democratic country is less than 30 years old. Prior to 1994 SA was a racially divided and segregated society. At face value, this could be stated as a divide between Black and White. READ MORE