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Making an impact through care: Outreach programme benefits Deaf community

08 September 2022 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin

Bartimea school outreach — Annemarie Le Roux and two of the learners from the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind.

It was a perfect Spring Day with laughter, cupcakes, and the brightest smiles on excited little faces of learners from the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind in front of the Main Building of the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). The UFS Department of Deaf Studies and South African Sign Language hosted the school on 1 September 2022 for a day of learning, fun, and lots of games to kickstart #DeafAwarenessMonth.

The relationship between the department and the school is stronger than ever, and after a two-year hiatus both staff and learners were basking in the excitement of the day. The school faced closure back in 2016 and it was in this year that the department and the student group Signals started a project to visit the school, which saw them participate in different activities with the learners. “We helped the school with the cleaning up of the school grounds and painting the playgrounds,” said Annemarie Le Roux, South African Sign Language lecturer at the UFS.

UFS could set blueprint for outreach to Deaf communities

The department and the UFS are in a unique position to set a blueprint for engaged scholarship with the Bartimea school in Thaba ’Nchu and the Thiboloha School for the Deaf and Blind in Phuthaditjhaba (formerly Qwaqwa).

The Bartimea outreach is an important project for the department because it not only enables the students to put their teachings into practice but also demonstrates the engaged scholarship mandate of the UFS. Le Roux believes more teachers should be able to use SASL in schools, and the UFS could facilitate such training opportunities. “It would be wonderful if the university and the school could work together in engaged teaching and learning.” She added that leaners at the two schools sometimes do not get all the information they need when applying to universities.

Le Roux thinks the relationship between Bartimea and the department could enable meaningful action to foster engaged citizenship. “We can help with fundraising, because the school is always in need of funding, as most parents cannot contribute to helping the school.”

Putting teaching excellence into practice

This engagement with Bartimea allows students to put what they have learned in lecture halls into practice. “Students who attend the visits to the school or the school to the university understand more about the culture, and want to learn more and develop their language skills,” Le Roux said. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic we took our third-year and honours students to the school to give them access to the Deaf community.” Furthermore, the engagement helps students gain a better understanding of Deaf culture and sign language.

Also visit our Deaf Awareness Month webpage for more information.

News Archive

Statement by the senior leadership of the University of the Free State

2016-02-29

Statement by the senior leadership of the University of the Free State regarding the situation on the Bloemfontein Campus

All academic and administrative activities on the Bloemfontein and South Campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS) resume on Monday 29 February 2016.

In light of the recent incidents on the Bloemfontein Campus, the university leadership would like to address the understandable concerns of students, staff and the general public. The university obviously respects the rights of individuals to freedom of speech and expression, but notes that these rights are subject to reasonable limitation, and cannot extend to justifying criminal acts.

The Bloemfontein Campus is secure and security measures have been doubled up to ensure the safety of students, staff and public property. The court interdict is in place and will be enacted if required. Unlawful disruptions, including those involving criminal conduct, will not be tolerated.

The university strongly condemns the unlawful and unacceptable conduct by students, protesting outsourced workers, and visitors to its campus during the past week, and in particular the assault on protestors at Xerox Shimla Park on Monday 22 February 2016 during a Varsity Cup rugby match between the FNB Shimlas and FNB Madibaz. The university has started a comprehensive and independent investigation into criminal activities on this campus before, during and after the Xerox Shimla Park events.

The university regrets the destruction of public property and the intimidation of staff and students which led to the shutdown of academic and administrative activities on the Bloemfontein Campus. Extensive investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators who took part in all incidents of disruption and criminal conduct, and urgent steps will be taken against such individuals or organisations in due course.

The university leadership remains deeply concerned about a dangerous and damaging allegation that a lecturer was identified on a widely circulated photograph while assaulting a protestor at the Varsity Cup rugby match on Monday 22 February 2016. The university diligently investigated this allegation and found it to be false; the individual is NOT a member of the UFS staff. A suspect was however identified and evidence handed over to the South African Police Services (SAPS) for urgent action.

It has further come to the attention of the university management that a number of individuals and organisations continue to make blatantly false and defamatory statements on social media platforms with the intention of inciting criminal conduct, threatening individuals, and spreading fear within the university community in order to unsettle the campus. Investigations are at an advanced stage to prosecute individuals and groups involved in such criminal conduct in the social media; both those who post these statements and those who repost or retweet them, are liable under the law.

Should you wish to confirm whether there is any truth attached to a circulated rumour or allegation, please call +27(0)51 401 2911, +27(0)51 401 2634 or send an email to news@ufs.ac.za. Legal steps will be taken against individuals and organisations that persist in circulating such misleading and damaging statements.

The UFS urges all individuals who are in possession of evidence or knowledge of any crimes that have been committed on the Bloemfontein Campus in the past week, to come forward with such evidence and information and to call the numbers indicated above or to send an email to news@ufs.ac.za. Any individuals who are in possession of video footage and photographs of the incidents at Xerox Shimla Park, the Equitas Building (formerly known as the CR Swart Building), Thakaneng Bridge, various residences, the Main Building and the grounds in front of the building, are requested to provide such evidence in order to assist with the identification of those involved in criminal acts.

The university leadership remains committed to its duty to act in the best interests of its students and staff and calls on its community and the public to act peacefully at all times and respect the rights of others.

Issued by: Lacea Loader
(Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Email: news@ufs.ac.za

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