Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Director of Disability Affairs Stephen Dhieu Dau launched an assessment in Jonglei to access the situation and the needsof the people with disabilities in the state.
Speaking to Juba Monitor yesterday, the Director for Disability Affairsat the Presidency Stephen Dhieu Dau said that poverty and poor access to services had increased the rate of disability and rendered people with
disabilities more marginalised as a result of the numerous attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers they faced, and lack of concerted efforts to include them.
“One of the biggest challenges that people with disabilities face in the country is physical access to schools, hospitals, employment and clinics
especially women with disabilities face sexual abuse and they have nowhere to address the issue. They are always victimized because no one pays attention to bring
the people who are doing such kinds of acts to justice,” Dau said. He added that the public should uphold the rights of everyone, have love, and help people with disabilities because it was not one’s choice to
be with disability. “We need more people with disabilities to be represented in the National Legislative Assembly as well as States level up to Boma,” he said.
He revealed that South Sudan could not compare with its neighboring countries like Kenya that had about 33% of parliamentarians with disabilities, Uganda had about 12% of parliamentarians with disability and
South Africa had more than 40% and likewise to Ethiopia. He said the assessmenttargeted the whole States and the three administrative area “My appeal to the government is that they have to expedite the process of signing
the disability policy that is in the parliament for us the disabled people to be included in all aspects of (the) society and development in the country.People with disabilities and older people inSouth Sudan are facing greater risks of being caught in many difficultiesand greater challenges in getting necessary humanitarian assistance,” said Dau.
