Silikhya Disability Centre hosted a disability awareness programme at Bongolethu Primary School in Philippi on Saturday 19 March.
On the day, parents and families were urged to take care of people with disabilities by showering them with love and care.
Silikhya is an organisation that advocates for the interest of disabled people in Philippi.
Event organisers told City Vision that in most communities disabled people were not cared and called for the practise to come to an end.
They called on families to spoil disabled people when they receive their grant money.
Nomfundo Jacobs, Silikhya deputy chair, said many disabled people were being ill treated in their families. She said they were also misunderstood.
“Some disabled people get grant, but they don’t even know what happens to their money. The money is used to do different things. We are not advocating for their money not to be used at home, but they must know about it,” she said.
Jacobs said disabled people are humans too and should be treated with “care and respect” like everybody else.
She hopes they can get their own place where they can keep disabled people while also helping them with scarce skills.
Akhona Majija, centre manager, said the awareness also helped them to educate parents about ways to treat people with disability.
“Everything starts at home. If people with disability are not respected and cared for at their homes, communities will also treat them in that way. At all times people with disability need to be respected like everybody else,” he said.
Majija said they will appreciate it, if business people were to support them as one day they want to own a piece of land where they can teach disable people skills in sewing and welding.