Forest Farm residents vote for change in Bryanston
Special voting at a Bryanston care centre brings passionate calls for employment, skills funding, and leaders who recognise ability first.
Their hands may need assistance to make a mark on a ballot paper, but their voices, opinions and hopes for the future are very much their own.
Residents at Forest Farm Centre for Cerebral Palsied Adults in Bryanston made their mark on November 3 when the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) visited the centre to facilitate special voting ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
For many residents, the opportunity to vote was about more than choosing political leaders. It was about having a say in the decisions that affect their lives and hoping for a future in which people living with disabilities are given greater opportunities.
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Resident Lorraine Fainter described the experience as wonderful, saying she was voting with the hope of seeing meaningful change for people with disabilities.
“I want our lives as people with disabilities to change because I haven’t seen much change happening in this country. I’m hoping for better change for us,” she said.
For Fainter, priority must be given to creating employment and curbing corruption to improve daily life for people living with disabilities.
Resident Orion Thompson shared similar hopes, describing his vote as an opportunity to move the country forward.
“Hopefully, it’s a dramatic change, a step in the right direction,” he said.
Thompson added that people living with disabilities needed leaders who would give them brighter prospects, goals and direction.
Dietrich challenges misconceptions
While residents were focused on the future, Forest Farm general manager Heather Dietrich said the opportunity to vote was itself an important step towards ensuring their voices were recognised.
The IEC brought the voting process to the centre, making it easier for residents, many of whom use wheelchairs, to exercise their democratic right without having to travel to a voting station.
Dietrich said the process went smoothly and residents were grateful to participate.
She also challenged the misconceptions surrounding people with disabilities, particularly the assumption that physical disabilities affect their ability to understand politics and make informed decisions.
Dietrich said people often wrongly assumed that physical disability and using a wheelchair meant residents lacked the intellectual ability to vote.
“They chat about it quite regularly, they listen to the news, they have an opinion, and I’m grateful they had the opportunity now to express that opinion with their vote,” she said.
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Dietrich calls for skills funding
Dietrich said the incoming administration must do more than simply recognise the rights of people with disabilities, urging direct investment in skills development.
She highlighted the need for greater funding towards skills development, explaining that many residents have practical abilities and talents that could be nurtured with the right resources.
“Although they may be in a home and in wheelchairs, they’re actually quite good with their hands and their minds. They can think, but there’s no funding for that,” she said.
Dietrich also called for stronger relationships between government and residential care facilities, saying engagement should go beyond providing funding.
She would like to see government representatives visiting homes, interacting with residents and taking an interest in their social well-being and daily experiences.
“To me, it looks like we get funding from the government, but that’s where it ends,” said Dietrich. “There’s no other interaction. They don’t take part in the homes. They don’t come and visit us. So whichever party comes in, we hope that this is something they’re going to look at.”
As the residents made their crosses and completed their special votes, they highlighted an important message for the incoming leadership: disability should never mean being left behind.
Their hopes are for a society where opportunities are accessible, skills are recognised, employment is within reach, and people with disabilities have a meaningful place in decisions about their future.
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