People living with disabilities in South Sudan are demanding equal rights to enable them to have full participation in society.

The group made the plea on Monday during the launch of a campaign to have a law that gives people with disabilities full engagement in society and the nation’s growth.

Speaking at the event, the chairperson of the South Sudan Union of Persons with Disabilities (SSUPWD), Augustino Wudu, stressed that defending the rights and equality of people with disabilities in any given society, such as South Sudan, must be everyone’s objective.

“People with disabilities in South Sudan are fighting for equal rights in all aspects of life, including economic stability, equal opportunity, defending the rights and civil freedoms of people with disabilities, and ensuring meaningful access to education, “he said.

However, Wudu said such people may not attain their goals, such as equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic empowerment, without the help of others.

He calls on the government and its partners in the country to work together to achieve social inclusion for people with disabilities.

Asunta Adut, one of the rapid result initiative facilitators, said every person, including those with physical disabilities, has a role to play in the nation.

“We are just like everybody else. People with impairments are capable of doing everything that people without disabilities are capable of, so they should not be viewed as people who are incapable of vital tasks,” Adut stated.

 “All they require is to be empowered, educated, and to have equal rights in society.”

She encouraged the ministry of general education to build special schools to enable children with disabilities to have equal access to education.

According to Adut, empowering people with disabilities should be a top priority for the country’s authorities to ensure that central programmes serve people with disabilities.

 “We must work for the economic security of people with disabilities by promoting participation opportunities.”

Sophia Mohammed Sayed, the Light for the World country director who also serves as Disability Inclusion Advisor, said her organisation has been working hard towards achieving the inclusivity dream of people with disabilities.

She said so far, Light for the World has trained over a third of the Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs) on various types of disabilities and that they will be working to train others in the country, particularly on the recently launched disability document.

Sayed said the effort of the organisation will provide disability-inclusive comprehensive sexual education materials as well as a South Sudan sign language dictionary to ensure that people with disabilities have access to this critical information.

 Wooing support

Awut Deng Achuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, promised to join the fight alongside the people with disabilities to get their rights, especially access to education.

She said all individuals require access to high-quality learning opportunities to be empowered and contribute to the nation’s development.

The minister stressed that her administration will push and press the government and other organisations in the country to allocate specific budgets for the people with disabilities in the country.

Awut urged all government and corporate organisations, as well as the country’s allies, to donate a fraction of their resources to the cause.