GEORGE NEWS - The George Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is in dire need of financial aid to help repair its two buses which transport children and adults to the day care centre and outreach programmes.
"Our buses are in urgent need of repairs; however, the costs are far outside the financial means of the APD," said Glen Fortuin, a community development worker at APD.
"Hence, we tender a plea to the community of George to assist us to achieve our goal and if possible, towards the acquisition of new transportation," He estimates their need at about R120 000.
The APD is a non-profit organisation that renders services to persons with disabilities and their families in the George municipal area. They assist persons with different forms of disability, including physical, intellectual, sensory, neurological and psychosocial.
Their services include support and empowerment groups to persons with disabilities in different age groups as well as parents/caregivers of such persons.
Optima Day Care, a project of George APD, is a special day care centre that renders services to 50 children with severe to profound intellectual and/or physical disabilities in the Child Care and Education section and 20 adults with disabilities in the Adult Day Care section.
Services rendered through the Cay Care include:
- daily transport by bus to and from the centre
- meals daily
- stimulation and education programmes
- specialised care and social support services
- social support programmes and
- preparation for school placement (if necessary).
The community development workers together with the peer support workers do regular community outreach programmes in an endeavour to market the organisation and create awareness of disabilities and the rights of persons with disabilities.
These include sensitisation workshops to workplaces, business forums and any other platform where changes in attitude can be made.
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