The Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) aims to ensure that the University of the Free State increasingly becomes a universally accessible higher education institution which embraces and is welcoming to all students, including students with disabilities.
CUADS assists students in gaining access to:
- Study courses
- All buildings on campus
- Learning material
- Residences
- Sporting activities
- South African Sign Language Interpreting service for Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafened students
- Classrooms
- Computer facilities (the CUADS computer lab houses the latest assistive technology and software, alternative furniture, and adapted hardware for physically impaired and blind students)
- Specialised exam and test venues for alternative test and exam procedures
CUADS provides a support service to the following categories of students with disabilities:
- Specific learning difficulties (e.g. Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Hyperactivity)
- Mobility impairments (e.g. wheelchair users, amputees, Cerebral Palsy, Muscle Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Multiple Sclerosis)
- Visual impairments (e.g. blind, partially sighted, other eye conditions). Students receive all their study material and textbooks according to the format of their choice, which includes:
- Braille
- Audio (material is read on a digital recorder)
- Enlarged material
- E-text
- Hearing impairments (Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafened).
- Debilitating mental health, psychological, and other chronic conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, epilepsy, panic disorder)
- Temporary impairments (e.g. a broken hand)
Special arrangements include:
- Amanuensis during tests/exams
- Application for extra time during tests/exams according to a specific impairment (this is done via a formal process of testing and interviewing by a panel from Student Counselling and Development)
- On-request tutors are arranged for students in cooperation with the A-Step programme (existing tutor programme) on campus
Contact the CUADS team