AYANDA GUMEDE

The Art Club Foundation is a registered NPC that provides support, awareness and advocacy for better environments suitable for the individual needs for children living with disabilities and special needs. The Foundation has been in existence since February 2022, founded under the umbrella of catering and creating adequate awareness on the challenges faced by children living with disabilities and special needs. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was thefirst international instrument to refer explicitly to children living with disabilities and special needs by setting out their rights, on the same level as all children. This however, does not remove the reality that children living with disabilities and special needs, are fundamentally vulnerable and need more attention and understanding as opposed to normally developed children. Society still frowns upon specific disabilities on children on the basis of societal beliefs, witchcraft, economic hardships and traditions. Another fundamental challenge for children with disabilities and special needs is access to which is difficult and unsuited to their needs and a more generalized inclusive education system, is critical if these children are to enjoy the same learning and living opportunities both within the schooling system and society as other children.

As such the inclusive culture must be underpinned by the following guideline:

• Programmes and Field Projects

• Advocacy and Awareness Training

• Increased Support for Children living with Disabilities and Special Needs

• Intersection between Art and efforts to positively impact children living withdisabilities and special needs

• Partnerships with other foundations and stakeholders to facilitate a more profoundimpact of the foundations operational mandate and objectives