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CUADS at 20 years - creating accessible learning environments

06 December 2021 | Story Martie Miranda and Mosa Moerane | Photo Supplied

The CUADS office promoting accessible learning environments.

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

UFS will increase its volume of quality research

2009-11-25

From the left are, seated: Prof. Alice Pell, Vice-Provost: International Relations at Cornell University in the USA and Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS; standing: Prof. Ezekiel Moraka, Vice-Rector: External Relations at the UFS, and Prof. David Wolfe from Cornell University during the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two institutions.
Photo: Stephen Collett

The University of the Free State (UFS) is taking its research serious and is therefore going to increase its volume of quality research. This includes the production of quality scholarly books in the humanities and social sciences.

This was said by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, at the launch of the Strategic Academic Cluster initiative of the University on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein last night.

“We are going to produce the kind of research that is associated with scholarships. New models of training, new standards of performance and the introduction of an accelerated Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars’ Programme are among the initiatives that will be introduced. These are all aimed at boosting our university’s research performance,” said Prof. Jansen.

Another strategy to boost research performance at the UFS is the search for 25 leading professors to be appointed across the disciplines, but especially in the social sciences, education and the humanities. These positions have already been advertised and will be phased in with the goal of achieving equity and excellence in the academic and research profile of the UFS. “We’ve had an overwhelming response to the advertisements from local academics as well as those abroad,” said Prof. Jansen.

Each of the six Cluster Directors gave a short presentation of its aim and focus areas during last night’s dinner. These Clusters will in future direct the University’s research endeavours. It represents a move from a fragmented to a more focused approach to research development at the UFS.

The UFS also signed a memorandum of agreement with Cornell University (USA) last night. The guest speaker, Prof. Alice Pell, Vice-Provost: International Relations at Cornell University and member of the UFS’s International Advisory Board, said that, just as the cluster research teams need representatives from different disciplines, universities need diverse partners to recognise their potential fully. Collaborating with partners with ‘fresh eyes’ that have different cultural perspectives, access to different technologies and partners with different priorities can have important implications in the research and education provided by the UFS and Cornell,” she said.

“The interdisciplinary approach adopted by the UFS in developing the Strategic Academic Clusters seems likely to provide students with the intellectual frameworks and research tools that they need to address the problems in society,” she said.

“The most important issues facing the USA and South Africa are similar, namely how to effect the social transformation that will provide equal opportunities to all of our citizens. South Africa, Brazil, India and the USA share strong commitments to democracy, to overcoming our dark histories of religious and racial discrimination and to sustainable economic development without adverse impacts on our planet. We at Cornell are excited about the opportunity to work with the UFS on all of the clusters, but we are particularly looking forward to learning more about social transformation,” said Prof. Pell.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
24 November 2009

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