The Student Affairs’ Disability Support Unit (DSU) of the Student Counselling department is appealing to all students living with disabilities to come out and contact them so the division can offer them the help they need. The Unit has five students with disabilities assisting with registration; they wear grey T-shirts with the message “how can we help you” on the back. The aim is to ensure that students with disabilities are treated fairly and with dignity.
The DSU’s Peliwe Sanele Hofah and Samukelisiwe Mthembu said she they had to go and check the queues with the help of peer helpers, looking for students living with disabilities. They said they can identify some. Hofah said it was very important for the students living with disabilities to come out and register with them so they can benefit from the services the Unit is offering. They said it becomes much easier to deal with the issues when a student has come out in the open. Students with disabilities have their needs that only a trained professional can deal with. The Unit helps the academics if there is something they do not understand about their students living with disabilities; and help the students if they have problems that has to do with their learning. One of these could be that they do not understand the lecturer, but the lecturer is not aware of the problem. “The office is the bridge between students and academics”, Mthembu said. The DSU helps the students living with disabilities throughout their study time at the University. “Our office thrives in ensuring that students with disabilities get the same quality of education as those students without disabilities by providing concessions and accommodations which enable them to perform at a higher level.
The Unit provides the following services: concessions, academic accommodation, clinical assessment, a structure/society, and residence accommodation. All students living with disabilities are given accommodation on main campus; they do not have to travel like others from off campus residences. “We advocate for the student, remember your disability is not your inability!” Hofah said.