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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

Postgraduate Film and Visual Media Programme at UFS from 2015
2014-12-04

 

There is great excitement at the University of the Free State (UFS) about the approval of a new honours and master’s programme in Film and Visual Media to be offered at the Faculty of the Humanities as from January 2015.

Prof Suzanne Human, Head of the Department of Art History and Visual Culture Studies at Kovsies and Director of the new programme, says this will be an interdisciplinary Film and Visual Media programme. There will consequently be a strong theoretical-philosophical basis in the training, as well as the practical experiences of students. The UFS will be the only university in South Africa where this much emphasis is placed on the historical and theoretical aspects of film-making.

“The world of images is, in our day and age where we are overwhelmed by images on a daily basis, a central study field relevant across various disciplines and even links the natural and human sciences,” says Prof Human.

“Film, which replaced books in the lives of young people in many ways, is an exciting field of which most people have some knowledge and involves a broad field of information with wide relevance.”

The programme will be presented with the cooperation of international scholars and experienced experts from the local industry. Chris Vorster – better known as Ryno from 7de Laan – with more than 20 years of experience in writing, directing and performance for theatre and TV, was appointed as lecturer in Film-making Theory and Practice in the newly-built film studio as from 2 January 2015.

This new postgraduate programme is developed in cooperation with several UFS departments:
• Prof Suzanne Human and Johanet Kriel (History of Art and Visual Culture Studies);
• Prof Nico Luwes, Dr Pieter Venter and Debeer Cloete (Drama and Theatre Arts);
• Prof Helene Strauss (English);
• Dr Anthea van Jaarsveld and Dr Cilliers van den Berg (Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French).

Specific admission requirements apply. For example, students should have a related BA degree with a minimum achievement level of 65%. Admissions are limited and subject to selection, therefore students that are interested should apply as soon as possible.  

Admission requirements

For more information, please send an email to filmandvisualmedia@ufs.ac.za.

 

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