Please note that the FREE services and website that we offer is privately run & funded and is not run or funded by the Government. We therefore rely on advertising and donations to continue to supply and improve this Free service. The Companies, Clubs, Schools and Organizations that have their logos on this site, have advertised or made donations to the Website and have therefore assisted us be able to continue to offer this free Service. Please support them as they have supported Us and please contact us if you can advertise with us or would like to make a donation!
Introduction
Welcome to ''Disability info South Africa" which has been developed as a "Free Service" for "Persons With Disabilities" in South Africa, who are looking for information that can help them. ''Disability info South Africa" is a “One Stop Information Service “ which provides information for and about the disabilities that fall under the 4 main Disability groups in South Africa, which include Persons with: Mobility Impairments; Hearing Impairments; Visual Impairments & Intellectual Impairments.
Those persons who fall under either of these 4 disability groups have a different set of emotional, physical & financial needs, which they have to deal with on a daily basis. "Disability Info South Africa" is a free service that will try to address some of these needs and this service consists of 4 parts:
- An Information Web Site: DISA supplies information about different disabilities, covering a number of topics, including: Assistive Devices; Sports & Hobbies; Organizations; Government Grants; Accessible Features; Self Help Centres; Transport Services; Service Dogs; Finding Jobs, Tax Deductions; Etc.
- Yes To Access: We at "Disability Info South Africa" not only believe that access to information is important, but also access to all aspects of life in South Africa, which is why we are in the process of developing “Yes To Access” as one of our services we supply. We aim to inform all persons with disabilities of their rights and to supply a platform for them to be able to lay a complaint, which we will then follow up on to make sure that it is dealt with. Yes To Access has 12 different areas, to lay a complaint, they include: “Non-Compliant Transport”; “Non-Compliant Parking”; “Non-Compliant Built Environments”; “Non-Compliant Ramps & Pathways”; “Non-Compliant Toilets”; “No Entry to Guide, Hearing, Therapy Or Service Dogs”; “Inaccessible Education”; “Disability Access”; “Hearing Augmentation”; “Employment Inequality & Exclusion”; “Non-Compliant Tourism & Accommodation” & “Inaccessible Technology & Web Access”. Website coming soon.
- Search Facilities: 6 Different Search Facilities are available on the DISA web site to make it easier to search for:
- Suppliers of Products
- Suppliers of Services
- Organizations
- Sports Clubs
- Health Care Facilities
- Educational Facilities
The contact details of Organizations, Sports Clubs, Facilities and Companies are listed with their contact details and a link to their web site. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can contact Alan Downey on the contact details provided and he will point you in the right direction.
- A free Telephone and E-mail Service, where you can contact us for information and we will research the question and contact you back with an answer or put you in contact with the relevant parties.
- A Facebook Page that not only shares information but also promotes events, organizations & activities that are available.
The services listed above and the information supplied on this Web Site are free of charge, but your Company, Sports Club or Organization can support us through advertising with us or by making a donation. We are not a registered Organization but we do welcome any assistance we can get, so that we can continue to improve this web site and supply this service free of charge.
Find out more about persons with disability in South Africa: Government stats & profile of persons with disabilities in South Africa
Find out more about the Rights of persons with disabilities: The White paper On the Rights of persons with disabilities
Find out more about the: Technical Assistance Guidelines for People with Disabilities
About Us
"Disability info South Africa" is a free web site and support service for Persons With Disabilities in South Africa, it was developed and is run by Alan Downey, who is a C5 Quadriplegic & has been since he had a diving accident in 1994. Alan has been working on this project since 2015.
"Over the last 25 years, I have come to realize that living with a disability is difficult, but it can be made easier if you have access to the right information and support structures, which can 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 2016, "Disability info South Africa" went live, but it was only officially launched in April 2017. Since 2017 it has changed & evolved and we have built a Support and Information Service around this website. This Service and Website has already exceeded all expectations thanks to the support of a number of Companies and Organizations. In August 2017 we were interviewed on Cape Talk and in 2018 after our 1st year anniversary of officially launching DISA, we were interviewed on 5 FM. Click the buttons on the right to find out more about these interviews and the services we provide.
DISA has already helped many different people throughout South Africa and through your support we hope to continue to create a Service that can assist and make a difference in the lives of even more Persons With Disabilities in South Africa and Africa.
Please Support Us
We Need Your Support! This project is a huge undertaking, which requires a lot of information & takes time & money to develop. We do not receive any funding from the government, so would appreciate any help that we receive, which will assist us to continue to supply and improve this Web Site and Service, therefore making a difference in the life of persons or families living with disabilities.
There are 3 ways that you can Support Us:
The FREE services and website that we offer is privately run & funded and is not run or funded by the Government or any Organization. We therefore rely on advertising and donations to continue to supply this service and this information FREE of charge. Please click on the buttons below to find out more, or Contact Us if you are able to assist or know of anyone who can advertise with us or would like to make a donation.
Search For Information
As mentioned above, we also supply a "Search For Information" page, where you can search for information that you may need to find, such as: Assistive Devices, Products & Equipment; Looking for a Job, Services & Service Providers; Disability Organizations; Activities, Sports Organizations & Clubs; Healthcare Service Providers and Educational Facilities & Service Providers.
Click on the category buttons below to see if you can find what you are looking for. If you can't find what you looking for, please contact us via the "Contact Us" page & we will try to assist you.
Please note that we are continually uploading new information, so if your Company, Club, Service Providers or Organization is not listed & you would like it to be listed, please send us your details on the "Supply Information Or Add Your Company Details" Form & we will list them as soon as possible.
Facebook Page
As mentioned above, we also run a very active Facebook Page, which is linked to our web site. On this page we try to inspire people and highlight individuals accomplishments and the Companies and Organizations that offer Services to assist Persons With Disabilities. We also promote the Companies and Organizations that have supported us through advertising. You can contact us through our Facebook Page to ask us any questions and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible. You can visit our Facebook Page at: Disability Info South Africa Facebook Page or by clicking on the Facebook button below.
A Laugh At Life
Disability is a serious matter and living with a disability can be difficult and may cause depression, but it sometimes helps to see the lighter side of our disabilities and the people who don't understand them. "Laughter is the best medicine" and with this in mind Alan Downey (Quadriplegic) has developed some cartoons depicting some true & some not so true funny stories involving Persons With Disabilities. Some of these cartoons were published in The Rolling Inspiration Magazine and are available to enjoy on our Website. Please click on the button below: "A Laugh At Life", but please note that they are not to be downloaded or printed without permission from Alan Downey. You can however contact him to commission some cartoons or purchase the use of the ones that have been created and displayed on our site.