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Abstract
Building bridges: the struggles and triumphs of developing an HIV/AIDS and disability education initiative in South Africa
M. Tataryn1, B. Mvoto2
Issues: People with disabilities (PWD) continue to be excluded from most HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives and mainstream HIV/AIDS organizations remain largely unaware of the need to include PWDs in their programs or how to make their events accessible. Yet, PWDs, especially disabled women, are at a high risk of contracting HIV due to social exclusion, lack of education and high incidence of rape.
Description:
Last year, Disabled People South Africa, in partnership with the Treatment Action Campaign’s treatment literacy program, launched a peer-education training program amongst youth with disabilities to equip them with the knowledge and skills they needed to take back to community groups of PWDs.
This year, there has been renewed effort at Disabled People South Africa to develop and HIV/AIDS and disability education program with a national scope and to develop an HIV/AIDS and Disability Training Manual for grassroots disability activists. As part of raising awareness, on World AIDS Day we organized a well-attended awareness raising event at a taxi rank. This put our activities as PWD in the public eye and we believe this was the first time PWDs had organized their own event for World AIDS Day.
Lessons learned:
PWDs have a voice in this issue that must be heard. However, there is
still widespread misinformation amongst the grassroots and disability
leadership. There is a lot of interest across Southern Africa in our
programme and in the development and distribution of our manual.
Recommendations:
There needs to be more substantial and sustainable funding in order to ensure the realization of such programmes. Also, disability must be included in mainstream discussions of AIDS activists globally. Even at this conference there was no mention of people with disabilities as stakeholders in this issue. We believe that this connection must be made and both constituencies will benefit from the alliance.
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
MOPE0833
Suggested Citation
"M.Tataryn, et al.
Building bridges: the struggles and triumphs of developing an HIV/AIDS and disability education initiative in South Africa.
:
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
MOPE0833"
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