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06 December 2021 | Story Martie Miranda and Mosa Moerane | Photo Supplied
The CUADS office promoting accessible learning environments.


Disability inclusive terminology

Twenty years ago, the need was identified to accommodate students with disabilities on the Bloemfontein Campus, and in an attempt to provide an accessible environment and academic life for these students, the Unit for Students with Disabilities was established in February 2001.  The unit started with one staff member, fifteen registered students, and one Braille printer.  Since 2015, the name of the unit has changed to the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), with offices on all three campuses. There are currently 247 registered students, 13 staff members and three Braille printers, with a pool of ad hoc South African Sign Language interpreters, editors, and amanuensis.


Full integration of students with disabilities 

After 10 years of existence, the unit was ready and committed to look at future possibilities for the full integration of students with disabilities. A lot of work has been done to accommodate students with disabilities across all categories of disability, including study courses, accessibility to buildings, accessibility of learning materials, residences, sporting activities, computer facilities, interpreting services for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafened students, as well as the provision of a specialised exam and test venue for alternative test and exam procedures.

CUADS now forms part of the dynamic student support environment of the Department of Student Affairs, and although the last decade has not been without a lot of growing pains and buy-in from different stakeholders, the centre has aimed to ensure that the University of the Free State (UFS) becomes an accessible higher education institution of choice for students with disabilities. While the primary focus of the support services offered by CUADS is to promote equity for students with disabilities in order to reach academic success, a holistic approach to student participation and success is followed to ensure a humanising experience.  

Universal Access 

CUADS’ involvement with the UFS Integrated Transformation Plan through the Universal Access Work Stream has assisted in integrating disability and universal access matters, which have contributed thus far to the approval of Disability Sport as part of the Integrated Sport Strategy, Disability and Universal Access advocacy as part of the Advocacy, Awareness and Analysis Strategy, including universal access considerations in the UFS Estates Technical Manual for infrastructure, and the Policy on Universal Access and Disability Support for students with disabilities.

Timeline

2001: Establishment of Unit for Students with Disabilities (USD) within Student Counselling and Development
First blind student graduated at the UFS (having been at the UFS without the support service)
2005: First deaf student (Sign Language user) registered, with Sign Language interpreting services provided
2008: Unit became an independent department within Student Affairs
2009: First full-time Sign Language interpreter appointed
2011: Ten-year celebration, embarking on integration of support to students with disabilities
Celebrating a ramp at the front door of the Callie Human Hall as a graduation venue
2012: Alternative exam arrangements integrated with Exam Division
2013: Sign Language interpretation integrated with Interpreting Services
2014: Accessible transport services established between South Campus and Bloemfontein Campus with First Car sponsorship
2015: Name change to Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) and adopting universal access as approach to include students with disabilities
2016: Documenting 40 graduates with disabilities in one year for the first time, which repeated itself in the following years
2017: Became part of the UFS transformation agenda through the UFS Integrated Transformation Plan

Mental health challenges added as a category of students with disabilities supported by CUADS
Formalised orientation and mobility training for students with visual impairments to enable independent movement around our three campuses

2018: Establishment of CUADS offices on South Campus and Qwaqwa Campus, with CUADS coordinators appointed
First Biennial CUADS Formal Function held
2019: Commenced with tactile paving project on Bloemfontein Campus
2020: Disability Sport integrated into ITP Sport Strategy
Disability and Universal Access advocacy integrated with ITP Advocacy, Awareness and Analysis Strategy
2021: Policy on Universal Access and Disability Support for students with disabilities approved by Council
Universal access considerations within the UFS Estates Technical Manual for infrastructure.

News Archive

Project aims to boost science pass rate
2009-01-19

 
Attending the launch of the HP grant of about R1 million to the UFS are, from the left: Mr Leon Erasmus, Country Manager for HP Technology Services in South Africa, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS, and Mr Cobus van Breda, researcher at the UFS's Centre for Education Development and manager of the project.
Photo: Lacea Loader
The University of the Free State (UFS), in partnership with computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP), wants to boost the pass rate of its science students by using mobile technology.

The UFS is one of only 15 universities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the only university in South Africa to receive a grant from HP to promote mobile technology for teaching in higher education valued at USD$ 100,000 (or about R1 million). Altogether 80 universities from 28 countries applied for the grant.

“Last year HP invited a number of selected universities to submit proposals in which they had to explain how they are going to utilise mobile technologies in the redesign of a course that is presented at the university. The proposal of the Centre for Education Development (CED) at the UFS entitled “Understanding Physics through data logging” was accepted,” says Mr Cobus van Breda, researcher at CED and manager of the project.

According to Mr van Breda, students who do not meet the entrance requirements for the three-year B.Sc. programme have to enroll for the four-year curriculum with the first year actually preparing them for the three-year curriculum.

In order to increase the success rate of these students, the project envisages to enhance their understanding of science principles by utilising the advantages of personal computer (PC) tablet technology and other information and communication technologies (ICT) to support effective teaching and learning methodology.

“By using PC tablet technology in collaboration with data-logging software, a personal response system, the internet and other interactive ICT applications, an environment different from a traditional teaching milieu is created. This will consequently result in a different approach to addressing students’ learning issues,” says Mr van Breda.

The pilot project was launched during the fourth term of 2008 when 130 first-year B.Sc. students (of the four-year curriculum) did the practical component of the physics section of the Concepts in General Science (CGS) module by conducting experiments in a computerised laboratory, using data-logging software amongst other technology applications. “The pilot project delivered good results and students found the interactive application very helpful,” says Mr van Breda.

”The unique feature of the latter is the fact that real-life data can be collected with electronic sensors and instantly presented as computer graphs. It can then be analysed and interpreted immediately, thus more time can be devoted to actual Science principles and phenomena and less time on time-consuming data processing,” says Mr van Breda.

The CGS module can be seen as a prerequisite for further studies in physics at university level and in this regard it is of essence to keep looking for new models of learning and teaching which can result in student success. This year the theoretical and practical component of the physics section of the CGS programme will be done in an integrated manner.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
16 January 2009
 

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