Research to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the education, training, and development sector within the context of the 4IR: research report on labour market outcomes of persons with disabilities who were beneficiaries of SETA funded interventions between 2015 and 2018 arising from the impact of COVID 19 pandemic: final report

Disability is one of the seven focus areas identified by the South African Human Rights Commission within its mandate to promote, protect, and monitor the realisation of Human Rights in South Africa. Persons with disabilities account for 7.5% of the population aged 5 years and older in South Africa as per Census 2011. Persons with disabilities continue to lack access to adequate health and basic education and are at risk of economic isolation with no prospect of securing employment. The sector is also particularly vulnerable to the compounded effects of discrimination and abuse. Disability prevalence is rising worldwide due to population aging and chronic health disorders. As of 2021, about 1.3 billion of the world's population-approximately 16%- live with some form of disability (World Health Organization, 2022). According to Census 2011, approximately 2.8 million people (7.5%) have a disability in South Africa (Statistics South Africa, 2014) with far ranging effects on the economy, society, and individuals.