We are beautiful, living with disability

On 13 November the following was reported by The Sowetan, said by Jeff Madibeng about his wife's latest pregnancy : “She is not disabled. She is pregnant. She will carry on with her work but I will take care of her.” Who is Jeff's wife? She is former Miss South Africa Joan Ramagoshi.

What am I on about? Firstly that this article should be published with such a degrading message towards persons with disabilities. This article states that you cannot work if you are living with a disability. What rubbish!

Even worse is the profile of this specific person. This articles tells me that one of our former Miss South Africas condones the idea that persons living with disabilities cannot cope in a working environment. Did she convey this message while she was Miss South Africa? Even now as brand manager for Mamelodi Sundowns, does she still spread this message as well? She is well known and this message is distributed whereever she goes!

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa is drafting a policy regarding disability and this will hopefully curb and maybe even eliminate such horrid messages about persons living with disability. Anyone reading that article will probably not think about what that message promotes.

The attitude is so ingrained in the population of this country that persons living with disabilities are weak and useless. That is definitely not the case! We are not sick and in constant need of care and attention. We are healthy persons living full lives, some even with wives and children. We are living with one or more disabilities. We are not slowly dying of it!

South Africa, should throw away this negative image of persons living with disabilities and embrace the truth : we are valuable members of society. This article is proof of that, written by an author using a wheelchair. We have beautiful minds, beautiful hearts and beautiful souls. Our bodies may function a bit differently, but we are fully human, evan more so!

I urge you to approach the next person with a disability you see and ask that person how his or her day was. A pleasant surprise awaits you!