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The Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC), in collaboration with the Disability Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (UP), recently hosted the annual short course on Disability Rights in an African Context, from 6 – 10 March 2023. The short course was held in a hybrid format; on zoom and at the SRC chambers based at the University of Pretoria.

 

 

The aim of the short course was to provide participants with an introduction to and overview of the contemporary issues in disability rights discourse in Africa. The short course brought together professionals working on disability rights in different capacities including as academics, legal practitioners, disability rights advocates and personnel from government departments.

On day one, participants were introduced to disability rights on a global and regional level. The two key instruments which participants were introduced to is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol). The highlight of day one was the panel discussion during which panellists discussed how far we, as African states, have come since the adoption of the African Disability Protocol. Given the fact that only three African states have ratified the Protocol, the focus of the discussion was on methods of encouraging African states to ratify the instrument.

One day two, the focus was on specific rights in the CRPD and the African Disability Protocol, namely inclusive education, access to justice, legal capacity, and living independently in the community. The day’s sessions explored these rights in detail with a particular focus on implementation strategies and challenges. On the third day, the focus was on contemporary issues and intersectionalities. Children with disabilities, migrants with disabilities, and persons with albinism, are some of the topics which were addressed. On the fourth day, the focus shifted from rhetoric to practice with three workshops being conducted; the first on advocacy, the second on strategic litigation, and the third on the use of technology as a tool to advance disability rights. Day four enabled participants to interact with the knowledge gained during the week in a practical way by exploring possible solutions to the challenges we face on the African content. On the final day of the course, participants were given the opportunity to put the knowledge gained during the week into practise by presenting the main findings of their group research assignments to the class.

Throughout the week, participants had engaged critically with the content and the presenters. Overall, the course was very well received by those who attended either virtually or in-person.


For more information, contact:

Dianah Msipa (she/her)
Acting Manager: Disability Rights Unit

Tel: +27 (0)12 420 6398
dianah.msipa@up.ac.za

Sabeeha Majid
Intern: Disability Rights Unit

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 6398
sabeeha.majid@up.ac.za

Tadiwanashe Mavunga
Intern: Disability Rights and Law Schools Programme

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 6398
t.mavunga@up.ac.za