National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities

21/04/2026

WATCH: Episode 10 of The Enablers – National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities

Erica du Toit, from NCPD, shares how the organisation is advocating for disability rights and supporting people with hearing impairments who don’t use sign language.

From mentorship programmes and skills development to accessible communication in the workplace, NCPD is helping organisations rethink inclusion beyond physical access.

Building a more inclusive and accessible future for all.

Join the conversation.

Disability Connect

20/04/2026

Congratulations to Renatha van Reenen on this historic achievement!
From being the first Deaf child in South Africa to receive a cochlear implant to becoming the first Deaf student at the University of the Free State to submit a Master’s thesis entirely in South African Sign Language, your journey is truly inspiring.

A powerful reminder that inclusion means creating space for people to thrive in their own language.

From all of us at the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), we celebrate this incredible milestone!

Renatha has just become the first deaf student at the University of the Free State to submit a thesis entirely in South African sign language!

20/04/2026

"Inclusion is not a speech. It is design."

Speaking at the Times Higher Education Africa Universities Summit in Nairobi, Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela delivered a pointed message to South African universities: symbolic gestures are no longer acceptable.

The reality is stark — students with disabilities account for just 1.3% of university enrolments in South Africa as of 2023. Minister Manamela is calling for a fundamental redesign: accessible infrastructure, digital platforms built for inclusion from the ground up, curricula that accommodate diverse learners, and faculty who are properly equipped.

He's also pushing for universities to publish hard data — retention rates, graduation outcomes, employment statistics — specifically for students with disabilities. Accountability must replace vague storytelling.

True inclusion means power. Access must lead to guaranteed success.

Read more on the NCPD website
https://ncpd.org.za/inclusion-is-not-a-speech-it-is-design/

20/04/2026

We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join the Vimbo Health app.

Designed to support wellbeing and access to valuable resources, this offer ends 31 December 2026.

Getting started is easy:

📲 Download the Vimbo Health app: https://linktr.ee/vimbohealth
🔑 Use voucher code: NCPD38 when registering
💙 Start exploring the support available to you

We encourage you to join and share the opportunity. For more info, visit: www.vimbohealth.com

20/04/2026

We are surrounded by noise every day, sometimes without realising how dangerous it can be. Studies show that 80% of health clubs and spas consistently play music exceeding 105 dBA over one hour periods. The average noise level at music concerts is 120dB with a risk of hearing loss after just 7 minutes. Restaurants too show alarmingly high levels of noise made up of the sound of crockery and cutlery, waiters shouting orders to the kitchen, the general hum of conversation and laughter, and overhead music.
In these situations where you cannot turn the volume down, the only solution is to limit your exposure to the noise.


Michele Tonks

ID: A branded image showing a group of 3 people at a table in a restaurant; 2 men facing the camera and a woman with black curly hair with her back to the camera.. Across the top in a white block is "NOISE AWARENESS 2026" in light blue text right. Below that and to the left is NCPD's logo and to the right are 3 blue blocks containing "Limit exposure to" "noisy environments" "Hearing Loss Matters ". Below that is a white strip containing all NCPD project logos

17/04/2026

Rehabilitation is critical to optimise functioning and ensure maximal life outcomes, and it's no different for people who have hearing impairment. Fanie du Toit 's guest this Sunday on RSG will explain more about the importance of hearing therapy and ways in which it can be done.

Don't forget to tune in at 11H00!


ID: A branded image showing a little girl wearing headphones sitting opposite an audiologist who is adjusting hearing equipment, and text "Leefwereld van die Gestremde Sundays 11H00

15/04/2026

Firefighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction workers, military personnel and heavy industry workers all work in noisy environments. Even those employed in crowded office buildings with phones ringing and the constant hum of computers, air conditioners and fans are faced with the annoyance and increased stress noise creates.
Noise in the workplace poses a safety risk by reducing concentration and increasing worker injuries.
Be sure to protect your hearing!


Candice Marais Michele Tonks Fanie du Toit

ID: A branded image showing a construction site with a man wearing a helmet and high-vis vest with his back to the camera, and a larger digger loader to the right. Across the top in a white block is "NOISE AWARENESS 2026" in light blue text right. Below that and to the left is NCPD's logo and to the right are 3 blue blocks containing "Exposure to industry" "noise causes stress" "Hearing Loss Matters ". Below that is a white strip containing all NCPD project logos

13/04/2026

This is Daphney Twala.

She works at the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities, she lives her best life, and she was born with four fingers — and she wouldn't change a thing.

Daphney wants you to know that persons with disabilities are not defined by what they don't have. They are defined by who they are, what they contribute, and how they show up — every single day.

This Casual Day, you can show up too.

Head to www.casualday.co.za, get your sticker, pick up a cap or bucket hat, and wear your support with pride on 4 September 2026.

Watch Daphney's story. Share it. And let's make this the most inclusive Casual Day yet.

Therina Wentzel-du Toit

13/04/2026

Meet the man behind the beat. 🥁

Ghapi — singer, drummer, songwriter and one of South Africa's most iconic entertainers — is beating for a cause this Casual Day 2026!

With over 40 years in the music industry, four number-one hits, his own drum school and record label, Ghapi knows better than anyone that music has the power to bring people together. And that's exactly why he's starring in the upcoming Casual Day TV ad — built around our 2026 theme, Beat As One: Rhythm Matters.

A drum unites. It doesn't ask your ability before letting you feel the beat — it simply calls you in. That's inclusion. That's what Casual Day is all about.

We're honoured by Ghapi's contribution to this campaign. His heart and talent are making this year's movement bigger than ever.

Join the beat! 💙 Grab your Casual Day sticker, T-shirt, cap or beanie — wear your support with pride on 4 September 2026.

Shop now at www.casualday.co.za



Ghapi Musician RSG Therina Wentzel-du Toit Adri Ilaine Visser Dr Hanri Kriel PhD APD Nelson Mandela Bay Association of and for Persons with Disabilities FS - APD FS Apd-Kzn APD Upington

10/04/2026

He can't see you. But he will move you.

Meet Bhekani "Brazoh B" Ngcobo — a blind professional, a dedicated team member at NCPD South Africa, a proud artist, and living proof that disability does not define your destiny.

Every morning, Bhekani gets up and navigates his world on his own terms. At the office, he contributes with purpose. At home, he has built a life of independence and dignity. And when the music calls — as Brazoh B — he pours out art that moves hearts and shifts perspectives.

He doesn't need sight to have vision.

This Casual Day 2026, the theme is BEAT AS ONE — because inclusion is a rhythm we all belong to.

On 4 September 2026, wear your Casual Day sticker, cap, bucket hat, or t-shirt and show South Africa that you stand for a country where everyone is valued, included, and celebrated.

Nothing is impossible. Believe in yourself.

Every sticker counts. Every purchase supports disability organisations that change lives.

Shop now: www.casualday.co.za

Share this post and tag someone who inspires you. Let's make Casual Day 2026 the loudest Beat As One yet.

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10/04/2026

Andrew Hofmeyr is Fanie du Toit 's guest this Sunday on Leefwêreld van die Gestremde, sharing his personal story of physical impairment resulting from a traumatic motor vehicle accident.
Don't forget to listen in to RSG at 11H00 this coming Sunday morning!

ID: A branded image showing Andrew Hofmeyr dressed in khaki clothing and seated in his office, and text "Leefwereld van die Gestremde Sundays 11H00