This October, ACTIVATE! Change Drivers launched the A! Diversity campaign – a collective
effort to support voices working toward a South Africa where access is a right and inclusion in equitable. This month-long campaign challenges stereotypes and promotes the full participation of people with disabilities in all spheres.
Among those driving this effort is Thabo Mxolisi Mvubu, a 2019 ACTIVATE! Cohort member and a dedicated disability rights advocate whose work reflects the belief that inclusion is central to transformation.
Lived experience and purpose
When Thabo moves through the world, he is constantly reminded of how design can include or exclude people. As a paraplegic and wheelchair user, he must navigate environments never designed with him in mind. These challenges have fueled his commitment to making
accessibility a shared responsibility – not just a personal struggle. “It speaks to my personal experience and to recognising the injustices suffered by individuals with disabilities,” he says.
Navigating challenges
Guided by his belief that true inclusion starts with removing daily barriers, Thabo has focused his advocacy on public facilities, public transportation, and employment. He emphasizes that promoting awareness and inclusion means educating others about disability rights, challenging stereotypes, and using inclusive language.
“Promoting awareness and inclusion means educating others about disability rights,
challenging stereotypes, and using inclusive language,” he says.
One of his proudest moments came in college. Then, the institution offered no ramps, a
persistent symbol of exclusion. Through tenacious advocacy, that changed.
“The college I attended had no ramps for wheelchair users; now it does,” he says. “That
change will benefit others coming after me.”
He emphasizes the importance of capacity-building workshops, structured networking
opportunities, and comprehensive emotional support for advocates through mentorship,
counselling, and peer groups.
Beyond physical access, Thabo calls for organisations to embed inclusion into their design and culture. To illustrate, he explains, “Buildings, meeting spaces, and restrooms should be
wheelchair accessible and have ramps and elevators. “For him, inclusion is not about sympathy but about structure – building systems that make participation possible.
A vision for tomorrow
The future Thabo envisions is one where people with disabilities are active contributors to South Africa’s growth, not passive recipients of support. He plans to develop strategies for inclusive education that cater to diverse learning needs. Thabo will partner with organisations to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. He also hopes to build partnerships that promote community accountability and inclusion.
“We need to train staff and stakeholders on disability and secure funding to support initiatives that benefit individuals with disabilities,” he says.
The work ahead
Thabo’s message reflects the A! Diversity campaign’s goals: inclusion must move beyond conversation to action. He reminds us that accessibility is not a charitable act, but a
constitutional right, and every barrier that remains weakens the promise of our democracy.
South Africans were promised equal dignity and full participation in our Constitution. For
millions, however, that promise remains unfulfilled 30 years after democracy began. Progress means growing the society we promised to become in 1994 – one where people with disabilities do not navigate around exclusion; they shape it.
The A! Diversity campaign calls for the South Africa we've already committed to building, a responsibility that belongs to every citizen.