The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) on 6 September celebrated a milestone of, for 30 years, positively changing lives through its flagship awareness and fundraising project, Casual Day.
This initiative with life-changing impact is as old as South Africa’s democracy, as the NCPD conceptualised it in 1994.
Its chief objective aims at raising funds and creating awareness about the challenges and potential of persons with disabilities.
The theme for 2024 is: “I See You”. This transcends the ordinary act of seeing with one’s eyes; it is about recognising the inherent worth, dignity and uniqueness each person holds.
“The NCPD views this anniversary as a moment of reflection and appreciation, and a jumping-off point to further shape a future in which inclusivity is not just a concept, but a lived reality,” the body has stated.
“Too often over the last 30 years persons with disabilities have had their rights overlooked; they have been unseen. With this foremost in our minds, we have come to our 2024 theme.”
This flagship project is held annually at the start of September, urging for support through the public’s contribution of, in recent years, R20 for a Casual Day sticker. Displaying one of these entitles them to express their individual interpretation of the yearly theme through their outfits, showing their support for the full inclusion and equity of persons with disabilities.
The organisation encourages South Africans to continue supporting beyond Casual Day, by purchasing merchandise such as T-shirts, bucket hats and caps.
