By Nangamso Mabindla
19 November 2007

THE need for Buffalo City clinics to be disabled friendly was identified during a five-day Disability Workshop in East London last week.

Arranged by the Centre for Municipal Research and Advice (CMRA), the workshop aimed to create awareness about some of the challenges disabled people faced at clinics. The workshop was supported by the Disabled People of South Africa (DPSA) and Deaf South Africa (DEAFSA).

It also aimed to train clinic staff on how to treat disabled people. Talking about the workshop and training, CMRA's Sinazo Mgwigwi said that staff were given training on a number of issues.

"We showed them the importance of being friendly to disabled people when they visit the city's clinics. We also trained them on ways to handle a blind person when they are at the clinic; for example, if a person is right-handed, they need to use the left hand to lead a blind person," said Mgwigwi, adding that they also taught staff about how to have a successful conversation with a deaf person.

However, one of the most important issues discussed during the week-long workshop was the need for the city's clinics to be disabled friendly.

"People felt that the city's clinics needed to have wheelchair ramps and [lower] counters. During the workshop we managed to train 53 people and we hope that things will gradually improve."

After the workshop, Mgwigwi and members of DPSA and DEAFSA visited the city's disabled friendly clinics in Berlin, Cambridge and Scenery Park.