From the Chair's Desk: Network updates and 2026 advocacy campaigns

Dear Members,

We would like to take a moment to share some recent updates from the Western Cape Network on Disability (WCND) and to invite your participation in the work ahead.

Member participation in 2026 advocacy campaigns

On Friday 20 February, WCND held an in-person strategic planning session, kindly hosted by the Cape Town Society for the Blind, where board members worked together to map out the Network's advocacy priorities for the year ahead. As part of this process, we identified a number of focus areas for 2026 advocacy campaigns, and we would now like to invite our member organisations to indicate which campaigns they would like to be involved in and how they would prefer to participate.

Member organisations are welcome to select one or more campaigns that align with their interests, expertise, or strategic priorities. This process will help WCND coordinate collaboration across the sector while ensuring that organisations can contribute in ways that best match their capacity and expertise.

Engagement with the Electoral Commission

On 19 February, WCND participated in an engagement session hosted by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Western Cape as part of preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections. The session was very well attended both in person and online, creating an important platform for the disability sector to engage directly with the IEC on accessibility and participation in the electoral process.

Persons with disabilities and sector organisations raised a range of serious issues and lived experiences relating to accessible voting, while also offering constructive suggestions for improvement. While some difficult conversations took place, these are necessary if meaningful progress is to be made. In follow-up discussions, the IEC indicated that they considered the session a very positive start to their consultation with the disability sector, noting that they learned a great deal and expressing their intention to continue engaging with the sector as they work toward building an enduring partnership ahead of the 2026 elections.

Dial-a-Ride update

The Dial-a-Ride crisis has remained a major focus of the Network's advocacy work over the past year. Following the City of Cape Town's announcement in August 2025 of significant reductions to the Dial-a-Ride service, WCND mobilised rapidly alongside sector partners to challenge the decision through both public advocacy and legal action.

An urgent High Court application resulted in a settlement in September 2025, in which the City agreed to suspend the proposed cuts, reinstate services pending review, and reverse reductions that had already been implemented. A review application was subsequently filed in October 2025 to test the lawfulness of the decision-making process. The City has since submitted its Record of Decision, and further documentation has recently been filed.

While the legal case continues, the Dial-a-Ride issue has also served as a springboard for broader advocacy on accessible transport, both locally and nationally. This momentum contributed to the petition handed over to Parliament on 3 December 2025, and has reinforced accessible transport as one of WCND's key advocacy focus areas for the year ahead.

Membership review

Alongside our advocacy work, the Network is currently reviewing its membership structure to ensure that it better reflects the diversity of stakeholders engaged in disability inclusion. Further information will be shared with members once this review process has been finalised.

Digital transformation

The Network is also currently undergoing a digital transformation process, which includes a refresh of our branding and a comprehensive update to our website. A key feature of the new website will be a searchable membership directory, allowing organisations, stakeholders, and members of the public to easily find WCND member organisations and connect with them directly. This upgrade aims to make the Network more accessible, more visible, and better equipped to support collaboration across the disability sector.

Staying connected

Since the start of 2026, several members of the WCND board have also participated in speaking engagements and working groups across the sector, helping to ensure that disability perspectives continue to be represented in a range of policy and advocacy spaces. This includes serving on a panel alongside members of the City of Cape Town's Universal Access Committee during the national Universal Design and Access Plan reporting workshop, as well as participating in a working group being consulted on how to make the Department of Transport's online complaints system more accessible.

Members can also listen to The Network Podcast, which released a five-episode series on the Dial-a-Ride crisis last year, unpacking the developments and broader implications for disability rights. This year we will continue the podcast by covering a range of issues and interviewing people from across the disability sector.

Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening disability advocacy in the Western Cape. We will continue to keep members informed as these initiatives develop and as further updates become available.

Anthony Ghillino
Chairperson, Western Cape Network on Disability