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#YouthMonth2021: CUADS – Humanising student experiences

17 June 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Supplied

CUADS read more — 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

Bloemfontein’s Visser brothers to wow hometown fans

2013-03-27

From left: Vincent Visser, Gareth Cliff and Vicus Visser
Photo: Supplied
27 March 2013

South Africa’s YouTube singing sensation, Vicus Visser, will wow Bloemfonteiners on 18 April 2013 with a musical performance at the University of the Free State.

He and his talented brother Vincent will perform at the Wynand Mouton Theatre giving their hometown fans a taste of their recent performances in the United States. Vicus, who has been dubbed Bloemfontein’s Justin Bieber, performed overseas for the first time in February this year when he and his brother performed at events for Black History Month in Washington DC and New York. One of their performances was at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC where they paid tribute to Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.

Vicus rose to fame in 2010 when a music clip of him as a ten year old boy, singing “These Arms” by All for One, appeared on the internet. After a massive seven-year search on social media channels by local and international record companies, he was tracked down to Heidedal in Bloemfontein. Vicus and Vincent moved to Johannesburg in 2012 where they were managed and mentored by Gareth Cliff, top radio presenter and judge on Idols South Africa.

Gareth will join the Visser brothers in Bloemfontein on 18 April and will be master of ceremonies at the concert titled Singing the Dream for South Africa - The Kennedy Centre Performance. As with their performance in the United States, the brothers will treat the hometown crowd to a selection of songs in English, Zulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans.

Vicus, Vincent and Gareth will also make special appearances at the two graduation ceremonies hosted at 09:30 and 14:30 on 18 April 2013. Gareth will be guest speaker and the two brothers will give a short performance. They will also have a meet and greet session with students at the Thakaneng Bridge at 11:45.

Tickets for the Singing the Dream for South Africa - The Kennedy Centre Performance cost R 20 and are available at Room 5, Thakaneng Bridge. The show starts at 19:30.

For more information contact Nicoleen Snyman at snymann@ufs.ac.za or 051 401 9598 / 051 401 9102.

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