Home - Disability Info SA

Introduction

Disability info South Africa (DiSA) was started in 2015 by Alan Downey to provide a Free Disability Information Portal which not only gives easy access to information via our website, but also through our free contact centre, offering advice and guidance to those in need. "Unlocking the Shackles of Your Disability Using the Key of Knowledge" embodies our belief that knowledge is power and with the correct information at our fingertips, we can break free of our barriers and comfort zones to reach our goals and dreams.

It is estimated that 15% of the world population have some form of impairment or disability. No Disability is the same but those that are affected often require assistive devices, services or special care to assist them.

Over the last few years we saw the need to expand DiSA and Disability Info South Africa NPC was registered in 2019. In 2021 we received our NPO registration number (NPO Reg. 256-154). We also realised the need to become more than just an Information Desk and have therefore reimagined DiSA into 4 pillars to not only Inform persons with disabilities of their rights and what services and products are available to assist them through our Information Desk, but also Identify and log barriers to access through our Yes to Access (YTA) - platform and then working with various companies and organisations, Address and remove these inequalities, discrimination and barriers through our Accessible Cities South Africa (AC-SA) platform. Via our DiSA’s News Network (DNN), we strive to Inspire, Educate, Entertain and Empower all persons with disabilities to live their lives to the fullest potential and to be the best that they can be, celebrating their achievements through our DiSA’s News Network.

Persons with Disabilities

The aim of DiSA when it was first started in 2015 was to provide easy access to FREE information and to provide a support service for persons with disabilities. In South Africa persons with disabilities are categorized under the following 5 impairment groups: Physical; Sensory; Intellectual; Psychosocial and Neurological impairments. Some persons with impairments are affected by more than 1 type of impairment, where either only one or both impairments can be considered as disabling. For the purposes of the DiSA website and the information service that we supply, we have categorized these 5 impairment groups above, under the following 4 impairment groups below, to make it easier to find information that can assist you.

About Us

The "Disability info South Africa" website was started in 2015 by Alan Downey with assistance from a long time friend and fellow Quadriplegic and web designer - Shane Smith. Disability became a reality for both Shane and Alan when they were both injured in 1994 in East London. "Meeting up again after rehabilitation, we were able to learn from each others experiences.

"25 Years later, I came to realize that many persons with disabilities did not get the same support that we had, and while living with a disability is difficult, it can be made easier if you have access to the right information and support structures to assist you. With this in mind, I decided to research and develop a web site that could help others in a similar situations to myself."

In August 2017 Alan was interviewed on Cape Talk and in 2018 after our 1st year anniversary, we were interviewed on 5 FM. Since our first interview in 2017 Alan has also represented DiSA in a number of other interviews, including: 4 TV interviews, 5 Video interviews, 9 Radio interviews and 7 Newspaper interviews, as well as a recent Webinar which was hosted by Border-Kei Chamber of Business.

Towards the end of 2021 and in 2022, DiSA officially launched their Four Pillars when the DiSA website was redesigned in February 2022. Please fee free to visit our DNN platform to find out more about these and other interviews, or click on the link below to find out more About Us.

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DiSA has already helped thousands of different people throughout South Africa and through your support we can continue to create a Service that can assist and make a difference in the lives of more Persons With Disabilities in Southern Africa.