Dr Praveena Sukhraj-Ely opens doors for persons with disabilities

Dr Praveena Sukhraj-Ely has become a powerful symbol of possibility for persons with disabilities in South Africa as the first totally blind person to lead a national government department.

Following her appointment as Acting Director-General of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in July, Dr Sukhraj-Ely sat down with SAnews to reflect on her journey. She noted that although she has dedicated much of her academic and professional career to advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, she never imagined leading a national government department.

“I have never dreamed that one day I would hold this position, even in an acting role as a DG, because I understand the stereotypes, the stigma and prejudice, especially considering that this is the highest level a civil servant can occupy.

“I never knew of a blind person or a person with a disability who has occupied this position at a national level. To be trusted with accounts, figures and to lead an entire national department as a blind person is something that I do not take lightly,” she said.

She emphasised that her advocacy has always centred on ensuring that persons with disabilities can access employment, become entrepreneurs and participate meaningfully in the country’s economy.

Yet she remains concerned that society still expects leaders to look, walk, act and make eye contact in a particular way before they are deemed fit for certain positions.

While her appointment is a milestone for the disability sector, Sukhraj-Ely does not want to be seen as the exception. She wants her achievement to become part of a broader norm in which persons with disabilities no longer feel excluded from spaces where their talent, qualifications and leadership are needed.

“I want it to become the case that a person who has the potential, qualifications and capabilities should not be discriminated against because of a disability but should be provided with equitable opportunities and reasonable accommodation based on their needs and diversity.”

Looking ahead, Sukhraj-Ely called on South Africans to uplift and empower persons with disabilities so that they can thrive. For too long, she said, people with disabilities have been sidelined, isolated, excluded and treated as different.

For her, the appointment signals that South Africa is beginning to show confidence in the disability sector by recognising the leadership capabilities that exist within it. She hopes her role will open doors for many other persons with disabilities who continue to be overlooked.

“This step, I am hoping, will make other departments move in a similar direction by not only employing persons with disabilities but also placing them in leadership positions so that the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ becomes a reality.

“Persons with disabilities should help shape policy, legislation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and impact,” she said.

Sukhraj-Ely is originally from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. She attended Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind in Pietermaritzburg, where she matriculated in 1995.

She holds four degrees, including a Bachelor of Social Science, a Bachelor of Laws, a cum laude Master of Arts in Political Science and a PhD in Public Policy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

A totally blind legal practitioner, public policy expert and public servant, Sukhraj-Ely has extensive experience in governance, constitutional law, disability rights, gender-based violence and femicide, public administration and policy development.

She also serves as the State Representative on the Commission for Employment Equity, where she advocates for a 7% disability-employment target by 2030.

She is among the leaders driving the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, the development of the Femicide Strategy and the drafting of the Disability Access to Justice Policy.

Her appointment stands as a statement of government’s commitment to equality, dignity and inclusive leadership.