Our Projects and Programmes

Work and Employment

Western Cape APD recognises the transformative impact of meaningful vocational participation in empowering persons with disabilities economically, fostering their independence and community integration.  Despite strides in various areas, access to skills development and employment remains severely limited for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, hindering their full integration into South Africa’s socio-economic fabric.  This exclusion leads to heightened economic dependency and social marginalisation, perpetuated by stigma and misconceptions.  Through our Work and Employment Programme, WCAPD endeavours to enhance the capacity of APD branches and service providers, facilitating accessible and inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities to realise their full work potential, enter the open labour market, establish entrepreneurial ventures, thrive within skills and work centres, or engage in community-based activity groups.

Our work and employment interventions include:

Skills and Work Centres
(previously called Protective Workshops)

The Skills and Work Centre (SWC), as defined by the Department of Social Development’s Revised Policy on Skills and Work Centres for Persons with Disability (2019), focuses on enhancing the skills and capabilities of individuals with disabilities, enabling their integration into mainstream economic activities either as employees in the Open Labour Market (OLM) or as participants in supported employment programmes.

WCAPD supports SWC goals by enabling persons with disabilities to work productively, share profits, access the job market where possible, create and manage businesses, and reinvest profits for ongoing psycho-social support and development.

Adult Inclusion Screening Tool (AIST)

Our Adult Inclusion Screening Tool (AIST) plays a vital role in assessing individuals with disabilities for participation in either a Skills and Work Centre (SWC) or an Adult Day Care Programme.  The primary focus in designing and developing the AIST was to ensure that clients not only benefit from, but also contribute to, SWCs and the mainstream economy.

Safety was a critical consideration, ensuring that clients attending a SWC are not placed in harm’s way.  This means that clients must be able to complete some basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL) tasks independently and be mobile, even if it requires an assistive device.  Unlike adult care centres, SWCs do not have assistants available to help clients with mobility or ADL tasks such as eating, drinking, and toilet routines.  Therefore, clients needing such assistance do not qualify for SWCs, as their inclusion could create safety risks.

It’s important to distinguish between assistants and supervisors within the SWC context.  An assistant is someone who helps a client with tasks they cannot complete independently, whereas a supervisor oversees the client’s work, ensuring quality and providing guidance, but the client can perform the tasks independently.

Aim of the Adult Inclusion Screening Tool (AIST)

The AIST provides high-level insights for goal setting and task selection in a SWC, but it does not include a detailed Individual Development Plan (IDP). It ensures that a client meets the minimum requirements to attend and contribute to an SWC, thereby participating in the mainstream economy, even if they can only complete a one-step task in a production line. Trained professionals familiar with disabilities, such as social workers and SWC workshop managers, are qualified to administer the AIST screening tool.

Adult Inclusion Drive Assessment (AIDA)

At WCAPD, we believe that meaningful participation in vocational activities leads to the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities.  Access to relevant, appropriate, and goal-driven skills development and employment opportunities remains extremely limited, especially for persons with intellectual disabilities, depriving them of their rightful place in the socio-economic life of South Africa.

In the absence of appointed occupational therapists (OTs), the Adult Inclusion Drive Assessment (AIDA) was designed to evaluate the motivation and drive of individuals with disabilities.  This assessment matches them with the appropriate Work and Employment programme and tasks within a Skills and Work Centre (SWC).

AIDA assesses motivation levels through the activity of collage making, providing a good indication of the individual’s drive.

Unlike the Adult Inclusion Screening Tool (AIST), which offers a binary outcome, AIDA goes deeper by evaluating the functional capacity and motivation of individuals.  Although AIDA is not a comprehensive MoCA assessment or Functional Capacity Evaluation, it provides valuable insights into motivation, guiding placement in the appropriate Work and Employment Programme. It helps structure the SWC to foster the person’s optimal development and outcomes.

Administered by skilled professionals familiar with disabilities and SWC programmes, AIDA ensures a precise match between drive level and programme fit.  This tool not only supports task matching but also guides the structure of SWCs to provide for each person’s optimal development, enhancing their participation and contribution to the mainstream economy.

Resource Development

I WE ALL Pilot Project

In our continuous effort to foster inclusion and drive sustainable development, WCAPD initiated the I WE ALL Pilot Project in October 2023.  This project, part of our resource development initiatives, aims to leverage the best practices, resources, and skills among various APD branches to uplift and empower persons with disabilities.

Through our interactions and ad hoc support services to multiple APD branches regarding their workshops and income-generating projects, we discovered a wealth of untapped potential within these branches.  This insight led to the creation of the I WE ALL Pilot Project, designed to identify, nurture, and enhance ten APD branch-based enterprises.  These enterprises, ranging from nascent ideas to well-established ventures, were selected to participate in this transformative initiative with a singular goal: to evolve into well-managed, productive, and sustainable entities offering quality services and products.

The inaugural cohort of enterprises includes Breede Valley APD, Bergrivier APD, Oudtshoorn APD, Laingsburg APD, and Jo-Dolphin Swartland APD.  Each of these branches has committed to the project’s vision of fostering social, economic, and vocational advancement for persons with disabilities.  The project commenced with identifying “Project Champions” within each APD branch, followed by establishing contracts and baselines for their current enterprise operations.  These champions then participated in a rigorous customer validation process, challenging their assumptions about customer problems, target markets, and products.

While initial contributions from I WE ALL champions during customer validation were modest, a remarkable shift occurred when resources were allocated based on the identified needs.  Suddenly, the champions began sharing a wealth of ideas, suggestions, skills, and opportunities, revealing a considerable list of internal resources.  This process highlighted the inherent skills and opportunities that the participating APD branches can offer and connect to one another, fostering new and inspiring partnerships and relationships.

As we move forward, we eagerly anticipate the outcomes of further customer validation, operational validation, and financial validation processes.  These evaluations will significantly impact the participating APD branch-based enterprises, enhancing their ability to provide meaningful social, economic, and vocational opportunities for persons with disabilities. The I WE ALL Pilot Project stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering inclusion and developing resources that empower and uplift our communities.

Success Story

Oudtshoorn APD Skills Training and Income Generating Project

In March 2024 WCAPD teamed up with the dedicated Work and Employment staff at Oudtshoorn APD to launch an exciting new skills training and income-generating project.  This initiative was made possible through significant investment from two major funders, highlighting the importance of a clear and shared vision for success among the Oudtshoorn team.

Over three transformative days, WCAPD facilitated comprehensive training and support, focusing on four key areas:

  • Disability Sensitisation and Education

  • Teamwork

  • Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Framework

The goal was to ensure that the Oudtshoorn APD Work and Employment team fully understood the project’s purpose, implementation process, and individual responsibilities.  Through interactive sessions, participants shared real-life experiences, enhanced their skills, and equipped themselves to deliver maximum impact for persons with disabilities.

Participant Feedback

“A very interesting presentation, and information was communicated very well. The style of presenting encouraged interaction and engagement within the group.”

Participant
“I really enjoyed this session!”
Participant

“I realised that I form part of a team.”

Participant

“Well prepared, insightful, and very educational.”

Participant

“Themes were well defined.”

Participant

Shortly after the training, Oudtshoorn APD prepared for a fantastic showcase at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK). They were granted a complimentary stall at the event, where they unveiled their exquisite collection of creative earrings, uniquely crafted from ostrich eggshells and adorned with trendy designs, making them an absolute must-have fashion accessory.

This success story stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, training, and a shared vision, showcasing the potential of skills training and income-generating projects to empower persons with disabilities and contribute to their economic independence.

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