According to available research statistics about 2,9 million South Africans – approximately 7,5% of the total population – live with some form of a disability. When relating this to the tertiary education sector, students with disabilities make up less than 1% of the total student population.
Lebohang Chauke (22), a second-year BCom student at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark, is part of the 1% grouping of disabled students within the South African higher education landscape. For Lebohang, who is studying towards a degree in financial accounting, university life is made easier by the support he gets from the Office for Students with Special Needs – or OSSN as it is better known among students.
An accident in 2014 saw Lebohang, then busy with his final year at high school, lose both his left arm and leg. The extent of his injuries left him hospitalised for six months and bound to a wheelchair. “I remember waking up and screaming at the nurses. I did not want to accept the fact that the doctors had to amputate my leg and my arm. It was, without a doubt, the most traumatic experience of my entire life,” recalls Lebohang. In 2015 he went back to school to complete Grade 12 and to write the National Senior Certificate examination. He did not only completed the year, but also passed with university exemption. “The only challenge I experienced upon returning to school was the reaction of other learners. They would stare at me and I remember feeling very self-conscious,” says Lebohang.
After enrolling at the campus in Vanderbijlpark in 2016, Lebohang met up with the OSSN team who helped him to get a prosthetic leg. This year the team will assist him in getting a prosthetic arm.
NWU: an inclusive and accessible university for all
Prof Dan Kgwadi, vice-chancellor of the NWU, recently held a round-table discussion with students living with disabilities at the university’s campus in Mahikeng. He had the following to say about the accessible and inclusive nature of the institution:
“Inclusivity should not only be for able-bodied students. Students living with various forms of disability should confidently claim ownership of this university - not only as their institution of choice for higher learning - but also as their home away from home.”
This round-table discussion forms part of an on-going informal engagement campaign during which the vice-chancellor will visit students across all three campuses of the NWU.
More about the OSSN
The OSSN is administered by Student Counselling and Development (SCD) as one of the many services to students with special educational needs. The primary objective of the OSSN is to create an accessible and welcoming learning environment for all students with disabilities.
OSSN furthermore pledges to assist students with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations in academic and non-academic programmes and to create awareness of the issues and abilities of people with disabilities amongst the campus community. Heading-up this office on the campus in Vanderbijlpark is Dr Sydney Vos.
