PREAMBLE

The United Disability Sector Gauteng (hereinafter referred to as “UDSG” or “the Organisation”), is guided by the following principles:

• Recognising that persons with disabilities in South Africa continue to face systemic barriers to full participation in social, economic, and environmental life.

• Recognising that persons with disabilities represent only 1.3% of formal employment against the national target of 3%.

• Recognising that over 80% of employment-age persons with disabilities are unemployed.

• Recognising that households supporting people with disabilities face higher poverty rates than average households.

• Affirming the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, particularly Section 9 on equality and the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities.

• Upholding the principles and commitments contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), South Africa’s National Development Plan, the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (WPRPD), and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA).

• Acknowledging that true sustainability cannot be achieved without the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in climate action, environmental stewardship, and socio-economic development.

• Committing to uniting diverse disability communities, organisations, and allies across South Africa and globally to advance an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable future.

The United Disability Sector hereby establishes itself as a non-profit organisation dedicated to the principles and purposes set out in this Founding Document.