21 Jan 2024

Botswana Dance Sport Association (BODANSA) and Botswana Council for the Disabled (BCD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will among others foster mindset change within the dance sport community.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Gaborone Friday, BODANSA vice president administration Abednico Tshambane said the collaboration was a catalyst for transforming attitudes, perceptions and practices.

He said it also promoted inclusivity and broke down barriers that had traditionally limited participation in dance sport.Tshambane said the collaboration signaled a shift within the dance sport community by acknowledging the importance of inclusivity and diversity; bringing awareness of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and highlighted the potential for their participation in the sport.

He also said the partnership included provisions related to the development of adaptive dance programmes, accessibility measures for dance venues, inclusion initiatives and joint efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of dance for people with disabilities.

Furthermore, Tshambane said the MoU came with educational opportunities such as training programmes and workshops, promoting equal opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in dance sport, changing perceptions of ability, community building and social inclusion, leadership in social responsibility as well as creating positive role models.

For his part, BCD Executive Director Moffat Louis said 2024 was a busy year for them as an organisation as they were advocating for inclusivity of people with disabilities especially to have representation in political offices.

Meanwhile, Louis indicated that BCD would be working with United Nations on a human rights and rights of persons with disabilities project this year.

He said the project included inclusive planning and development across all sectors regarding people with disabilities.

“This is a two-year project which will cover ten districts and I am glad that it will be happening during the general election year,” Louis said.

Furthermore, he said BCD  would be launching a human rights office. Louis said critical to the organisation was mainstreaming and said they appreciated their collaboration with BODANSA. ENDS