The number of disabled people receiving social grants has doubled over the past six years but job opportunities are few, the Ministry of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities announced on Tuesday.

"While opportunities have increased, particularly in the provision of social support, there are still insufficient services and opportunities for people with disability to participate equally in society," minister Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya said.

"The target of two percent of public service jobs to be occupied by people with disability, set by the White Paper on affirmative action in the public service, 1998, has not yet been reached."

Speaking at the launch of disability awareness month in Lenesia, Mayende-Sibiya indicated that the number of disabled people accessing grants increased from 694 000 in 2002 to 1.287 million in 2008.

People with disabilities constitute the third largest group of social grant beneficiaries after those receiving the child support grant and the old age pension.

She noted that KwaZuluNatal had the highest number of grant recipients by the end of the last year with a total of 369 496, followed by Eastern Cape with 209 520 and Western Cape with 137 601.

The lowest was Northern Cape, which had 46 681.

Sapa

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