Tygerberg Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities

The Tygerberg Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (TAPD) was established to address the growing need for employment opportunities for people with physical disabilities. Steytler and her husband, Dr. Steytler, to render services to discharged patients with physical disabilities. Steytler and her friends started doing hospital rounds with her husband - an orthopaedic specialist at Kar

l Bremer Hospital. This provided them with a better understanding of the long term impact that disabilities have on people’s lives. Social work services were initially rendered by the social worker at Karl Bremer Hospital. Clients would have to be transported to the hospital in order to see the social worker and this was not always possible. In 1983, the organisation’s name was changed to Tygerberg Association for the Physically Disabled and in September 1999 the association became affiliated with the Western Cape Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities. The services provided to people with physical disabilities extended with the Miracles Protective Workshop, which was founded in 1991 as a socialisation group but developed to a state subsidised workshop that offers sheltered employment to people with physical disabilities. A Management Committee, that is made up of volunteers, run the association and meet on a monthly basis to discuss the running of activities at Tygerberg APD.