Artscape CEO pens letter to President Ramaphosa to help people living with disabilities

Clarence Ford speaks to Marlene le Roux, Doctor and CEO of the Artscape Theatre. 

Marlene le Roux is a South African disability and women's rights activist.

Le Roux is also the first woman of colour to take the helm at Cape Town’s biggest theatre as CEO of the Artscape Theatre in addition to being the co-founder of the Women's Achievement Network for Disability.

Le Roux uses her platform to tirelessly advocate for the rights of the disabled and the youth.

Stricken with polio when she was just three months old, Marlene found freedom on the stage, captivating audiences with her pitch perfect voice.

Now, she is advocating for change in the arts in an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa that read:

"Dear Mr. President, thank you for presenting a five year plan for the Government of National Unity.

Thank you for mentioning Persons With Disabilities (PWD) as part of the future of an inclusive and transformational South African Society. Allow me to suggest a few ways in which this laudable aspiration can be a meaningful, specific action plan:

1. Central to your speech was a focus on job creation. For most PWD this begins and ends with internships. Why can’t the government implement a policy to incentives companies/organisations/ authorities/ government administration to create meaningful and sustainable jobs for PWD?

2. In terms of combating poverty. A second important element in your speech, why not extend the current system of social grants for households with persons with severe disabilities to include a more inclusive approach that not only focus on the PWD , but also the household and the broader support network?

In this way, a less vulnerable care structure is realised.

3. What could the development of skills mean for young people with disabilities?

First of all, why not consider a review of the current system of special needs education? This often seems to be an isolation space for persons with disabilities .

The diversity of disabilities and the best way for each category should receive adequate and best incentives. Added to this is when young persons with disabilities turn 18 all infrastructural support ends.

Here, vocational and tertiary education could be a specific instrument to make it possible for young persons with disabilities to acquire the necessary skills to obtain jobs.

A last policy suggestion is why not demand of each ministry to include in its plans a specific aspect in terms of improvement of the lives of PWD?

Whether it is in the sector of transport, job creation, education, accessibility of administrational services, actually all Ministries.

Mr. President let this historic 7th administration work for Persons With Disabilities."

- Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre

Le Roux argues that the President needs to back up the implemented policies for people with disabilities with action.

Tell us specifically what this ministry's going to do for people with disability on every level, says le Roux.

"We have enough very good policies, it's the political power and energy to implement it and the right persons to put in these job so the people on the ground can benefit from these policies. So, it's not about creating new policies, it's about doing the auditing and seeing what is needed on the ground."

- Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre

"I don't want the most vulnerable people and the challenges of this particular community to be pushed into a commission or dump it into a ministry."

- Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre

"My plea is let's go back to basics, it can't just be based with one person - this is my plea - we need to keep government accountable."

- Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre

"Every disability needs a specific resource and this isn't even being looked at... we need to look at systemic change at tackling the challenges people with disabilities face - grants are not enough and contributes to the spiral of poverty."

- Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre

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