South Africa will be observing annual National Disability Rights Awareness Month from 03 November to 03 December 2017, with 03 December commemorated as International Day of Persons with Disabilities and National Disability Rights Awareness Day.

The DBE has made visible strides in the education of Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN). The developments include the implementation of the South African Sign Language subject, which commenced during 2015 in 42 Schools for the Deaf; the creation of special units in Special Schools for learners with autism; and establishing autism-specific Special Schools in the Gauteng Province, progressively adding new Special Schools across provinces from just over 300 in 2002 to 453 in 2016. Specifications were developed for the connectivity of all Special Schools, including the standardisation of the process to procure and distribute assistive devices, and the Policy on Accommodations and Concessions was promulgated. A total of 725 ordinary schools were designated to Full Service Schools for mainstream inclusion.

In light of the above developments, the sector has recorded improved access to education for learners with disabilities within the compulsory school-going age to 93% according to Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey of 2016.  Notwithstanding the improved access to education for special needs learners, the sector remains challenged by out-of-school children with disability. In responding to the challenge, the sector has among other developments, drafted a Strategy for Improving Access to Education for Children with Autism and has developed a Policy on the Quality of Education and Support, as well as a Learning Programme to mobilise out-of-school children with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability.

In aligning itself with the 2030 vision of the National Development Plan (NDP) of “providing inclusive education that enables everyone to participate effectively in a free society”, the DBE has introduced the Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS), the Institutionalisation of Curriculum Differentiation, as well as the diversification of curriculum offerings through the Three Stream Model, which will engender a General Certificate of Education (GCE) at NQF level 1 for all learners.