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17 June 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Supplied
CUADS: Recognised for its efforts in human reconciliation within higher education spaces by creating and providing opportunities for students with disabilities to thrive academically.

In commemoration of Youth Month 2021, the South African government zooms in to uncover opportunities available to the South African youth, drawing more young people into the economy, and initiating various youth development and empowerment initiatives to support young people.

In line with this, the University of the Free State (UFS) Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) has established and implemented a number of technological and academic support measures to humanise the experiences of students with disabilities at the UFS, encouraging universal access and academic success for all students.  The ultimate aim is to have young people with disabilities employed in order to participate in the economy of South Africa.

CUADS continues the mission established when the department first opened: to become a higher-education institution support service recognised for its efforts in human reconciliation by creating and providing opportunities for students with disabilities to ultimately achieve academically, and to have an institutional culture of embracing and welcoming persons with disabilities on all three campuses of the UFS.

According to Martie Miranda, Assistant Director of CUADS and chair of the Higher and Further Education Disability Services Association, CUADS is monumental in its ability to accommodate the specific needs of students with sensory, physical, and learning disabilities, and has inspired other South African universities to enhance the qualities of their services by adapting their strategic visions to that of CUADS, which aims to operationalise and cater for the core needs of students through the UFS Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP), founded on the Strategic Policy Framework on Disability for the post-education and training sector. 

The UFS ITP assists in addressing physical barriers (accessibility to and within buildings, e.g., ramps, doorways, services, and information), attitudinal barriers (communication access, awareness and advocacy, integrated programmes to mix and learn between peers), and structural barriers (policies, flexible service delivery, and employment practices).

CUADS, in line with the UFS Division of Student Affairs (DSA), prioritises student success and plans to maintain continuous engagement with students (on an individual basis, but also per disability category) to continue the support needed to ensure student success.


News Archive

Best Sêr yet!
2012-09-04

Marjolein
Photo: Albert van Biljon
3 September 2012

The best Sêr yet. This was the opinion of those who attended the ATKV’s national Sêr competition on the Bloemfontein Campus on Saturday 1 September 2012.

The competition, an annual event between the universities of Stellenbosch, Pretoria, Johannesburg, the UFS and the North-West University, had the social network Twitter abuzz and was one of the trending topics on this network.

“Sêr is coming home,” presenters of the TV programme MK Kampus Sêr told the audience in the Callie Human Centre before male and female groups from the participating universities took to the stage. The competition was first presented at Kovsies in 1997, with university residences showcasing their singing and entertainment talents.

On Saturday evening the Stellenbosch University took top honours. The male and female groups from this university’s Hippokrates residence took the top spots.

The Kovsies name was held high by Marjolein (female) and Veritas (male) who obtained a second and third place respectively. Marjolein further impressed by winning the prize for the best own composition in the female category. 

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