About Us

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UDS will serve as a body for strengthening partnerships, promoting accountability and good governance, monitoring sector priorities, encouraging inclusive participation, and ensuring that the voices of Persons with Disabilities and Disability Organizations in Gauteng remain central to policy development, service delivery, and socio-economic transformation in Gauteng.

Vision

A South Africa in which persons with disabilities are fully included as leaders, innovators, and equal partners in building a just, resilient, and sustainable society for present and future generations.

Mission

To unite, empower, and amplify the voices of persons with disabilities and their organisations across South Africa in advancing disability-inclusive sustainability, environmental justice, climate resilience, and equitable development through advocacy, capacity building, collaboration, and transformative action.

Objectives

The objectives of the Organisation shall be to:

Promote disability-inclusive sustainability

Promote disability-inclusive sustainability by ensuring that persons with disabilities are meaningfully included in environmental, climate, and sustainable development policies, programmes, and decision-making processes at local, provincial, and national levels.

Strengthen advocacy and representation of persons with disabilities in sustainability discourses, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, just energy transition, green economy opportunities, and disaster risk reduction.

Build capacity and leadership among persons with disabilities and disability organisations to engage effectively in sustainability initiatives, policy processes, and community-based environmental action.

Foster collaboration and unity across the disability sector, government, civil society, academia, and the private sector to advance shared goals of inclusion and sustainability.

Champion accessibility and universal design in sustainable infrastructure, technologies, public spaces, information systems, and emergency response frameworks.

Generate and disseminate knowledge through research, documentation, and public education on the intersections of disability, environment, climate justice, and sustainable development in the South African context.

Support economic empowerment of persons with disabilities through inclusive green skills development, entrepreneurship, and access to opportunities in the circular and green economies.

Uphold the dignity, autonomy, and rights of persons with disabilities in all organisational activities, guided by the principles of equality, non-discrimination, participation, and accountability.

Membership

The membership of the organisation shall be open to the following:

Non-profit organisations

Non-profit organisations representing persons with disabilities: Both funded and non-funded NPOs in Gauteng

Individuals that advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Representative Organisations (OPDs): Governed and run largely (at least 50%) by persons with disabilities to serve as a collective voice and advocate for rights.

Disability Service Organisations (DSOs): Focused on practical service delivery like rehabilitation, counselling, and training, and open to general community participation.

Disability-Owned Organisations: Commercial or non-profit structures legally owned and operated by individuals with disabilities.

Connect With Us

Whether you are a person with a disability, disability organisation, community leader, advocate, or stakeholder, we welcome opportunities to collaborate, share ideas, and create meaningful change together.