EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO GROW UP IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

By Morapedi Sibeko.

• South Africa’s children with severe disabilities are often unheard and unseen, and this must change.
• In many communities, these children often miss out on developmental and stimulation opportunities because of the costs involved.
• A team from the Department of Social Development is currently visiting Japan to learn firsthand how that country caters for children with disabilities.

In South Africa, children with severe disabilities remain among the most excluded and unseen members of society.

Despite the country’s commitment to upholding the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, many children still face barriers.

Charlotte Nkosi, a mother of a child with a disability and a caregiver in the Respite Care Programme, shares the sobering reality that “in many communities, children with severe disabilities often miss out on developmental and stimulation opportunities, not because the need is not there, but because of the costs involved”.

She added: “Accessing transport, specialised care, and appropriate equipment is often unaffordable. Some parents also don’t believe it will benefit their child.”

This recognition highlights the larger difficulties that families of children with impairments and severe disabilities face, most notably, a lack of knowledge about each child’s rights and possibilities.

Nkosi is part of a delegation from the Department of Social Development who are currently in to Japan to learn firsthand how that country caters for children with disabilities.

One of the centres the department team visited was one run by welfare organisation Biwako Gakuen, in the Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, where children with severe disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy, are included in structured school programmes.

What the team saw was that, while the Biwako Gakuen centre is a facility for persons with severe disabilities, what its implementation of the principle that every child deserves stimulation, routine, and the opportunity to grow in a supportive environment.

A structured daily routine allows children to develop anticipation, emotional security, and a sense of purpose.

Simple things, such as having predictable transitions throughout the day, help children with disabilities engage more confidently with their surroundings and caregivers. These are low-cost, high-impact interventions that can be replicated in local contexts.

Inspired by global practices and the lived realities of caregivers like Nkosi, the Department of Social Development remains committed to strengthening support for children with disabilities.

This includes expanding programmes like Respite Care, reinforcing community-based care models, and continuing to raise awareness around the rights of children with disabilities.

Every routine, every programme, and every interaction must affirm the rights and dignity of the child.

Even for children with high support needs, such as cerebral palsy or developmental disabilities, access to stimulation is not only possible but profoundly beneficial.

Structured programmes help with cognitive development, emotional regulation, and social interaction.

For non-verbal children, it fosters alternative forms of communication and connection.

Above all, it upholds their right to be seen, heard, and included rather than marginalised by presumptions about their limitations.

However, care must be comprehensive, stimulating, and preserve each child’s dignity in addition to providing physical support.

This entails changing perspectives among care providers, communities, and families. It also entails discussing the opportunities and hope in addition to the difficulties.

As Professor Ryuichi Nakamura, a psychologist and specialist on disability, observed, people with disabilities are a minority and their voices often struggle to be heard.

In both Japan and South Africa, real change begins when communities move beyond statistics to tell stories of resilience, hope, and human dignity.

The parent-led movements in Japan, he notes, were successful because they combined facts with courage and clear goals.

As Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child reminds everyone, children with disabilities are entitled to a “full and decent life”, one that ensures dignity and promotes active participation in society.

This is a right, not a favour. And it is one that everyone must uphold.