On 17 March, WCAPD marked World Social Work Day with a series of video reflections that gave South Africans a rare, honest look into the real pressures, decisions, and hopes that shape social work in the disability sector.  What came through most clearly was how much the profession has shifted, from an individual‑focused service to a practice that strengthens families, communities, systems, and organisations.

This shift fits with the spirit of MiAPD, the initiative that encourages all of us to understand, support, and stand behind the APD network as a whole. MiAPD reminds South Africans that disability inclusion is not only the responsibility of organisations, it is a shared commitment.  In many ways, social workers embody this movement every day.  They carry the weight of complex cases, they advocate inside homes and inside boardrooms, they guide families and branch committees, and they hold together the many threads that make WCAPD’s work possible.

At WCAPD, social workers are often the first point of contact for families trying to navigate unfamiliar territory; assessments, screenings, support needs, referral pathways, and the decisions that follow.  They help families understand options such as Skills and Work Centres, Adult Day Care programmes, community‑based services, and support groups.  They bring structure to chaos, encouragement to overwhelmed caregivers, and a steady voice into environments that are sometimes unstable or unsafe.

Beyond direct service, their contribution stretches across the entire WCAPD chain:

Social workers often carry workload that is emotionally heavy and administratively demanding, and still, they continue showing up, for families, for their teams, and for the wider disability community.  Their work reminds us that inclusion happens through connection: between organisations and households, between service teams and community realities, between movements like MiAPD and the everyday experiences of persons with disabilities.

This year’s World Social Work Day videos made one thing clear: social workers are not only practitioners; they are anchors in an increasingly complex system.

They hold both the human story and the administrative structure. They walk with individuals, but they also strengthen the scaffolding around them: families, neighbourhoods, services, and the APD movement itself.

As we look ahead, we want to pause again and recognise their work.  Social workers do not only keep programmes functioning, they keep dignity at the centre of everything WCAPD does.

To every social worker in the APD environment:  Thank you for your leadership, your steady presence, and your commitment to building communities where persons with disabilities can participate fully and safely.

If you would like to send a message of appreciation to your branch social worker or highlight an example from your area, please do.  These stories strengthen our entire movement.