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