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Walter Sisulu University (WSU) recen tly hosted a UNISA delegation for an information-sharing session on the support services offered to WSU students living with disabilities, as inclusive spaces continue to be mandatory for higher learning institutions.
The benchmarking session was held at the Phyllis Ntantala Library, featuring a team from the UNISA Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD).
The comprehensive team from WSU included officials from Student Affairs, the WSU Disability Unit, Health & Wellness, Residence Life, Student Life & Co-curricular, Transformation & Language, FAB, Registration, ICT & Operations, and Institutional Residence.
The session aimed to provide an overview of the extensive support services WSU offers to students living with disabilities, and included a detailed explanation of WSU facilities, policy frameworks, and structures.
WSU Student Affairs Executive Director, Dr. Irene Patience Mohasoa, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, especially as June is youth celebration month, affirming the celebration of youth living with disabilities.
"We pledge to contribute to the transformation agenda of the institution, and one of the strategic goals is to enhance the student life experience despite disability,” she said.
Dr. Mohasoa added that the engagement was also an opportunity for WSU to reflect and look forward to future collaborations.
Detailed discussions revolved around the challenges faced by students with special needs and the interventions WSU has implemented to minimize them.
Among the challenges raised were issues around the placement of physically challenged students in residences, access to academic facilities, electronic accessibility for the blind, transportation, and general student life challenges.
Various speakers from different WSU departments shared their scope of work and how they respond to students with special needs.
Among the interventions mentioned was the updated application system, now online, which includes an indicator for students to declare their disabilities to ease accommodation and academic placement, additionally, transportation arrangements were discussed.
The institution has also rolled out awareness campaigns and staff training workshops with relevant stakeholders to address the challenges faced by students with disabilities.
Despite the relatively new units responding to needy students, plans are in place to acquire braille machines and laptop software to accommodate students in need.
Furthermore, Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with other institutions for WSU to borrow resources as needed.
Welcoming the engagement, Mr. Bheki Nxumalo, UNISA ARCSWiD Acting Deputy Director, expressed excitement about the collaboration and hoped for a long-lasting partnership.
"UNISA is a very old institution with outdated policies that don’t resonate with the current generation. We are grateful for this collaboration as WSU is servicing this generation," he said.
He added that they were pleased to have tapped into WSU's intelligence and to share policy frameworks and structures.
By Yolanda Palezweni
