disability awareness in south africa - lessons from unisa

7/31/2019 Disability Awareness in South Africa - Lessons From Unisa

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Disability Awareness in SouthAfrica : Lessons from UNISA

Buhle Mbambo-Thata, DPHIL

UNISA LibraryPretoria


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Contents

Context

Background

National Context

Vision and Mission

Services to students with disabilities

Concluding remarks


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National Context


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Organisations

Office on the Status of Disabled Persons

(OSDP)

incorporated in Dept for Women, Children and People withDisabilitieshttp://www.dwcpd.gov.za/people_with_disabilities

Higher Education Disability Services

Association (HEDSA)
http://www.dwcpd.gov.za/people_with_disabilitieshttp://www.hedsa.org.za/http://www.hedsa.org.za/http://www.hedsa.org.za/http://www.hedsa.org.za/http://www.dwcpd.gov.za/people_with_disabilities


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Legal instruments

Employment Equity & TransformationAct

Education White Paper 6
http://www.info.gov.za/whitepapers/2001/educ6.pdfhttp://www.info.gov.za/whitepapers/2001/educ6.pdf


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Institutional contexts


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University of South Africa (UNISA)

South Africas only dedicated distance highereducation institution


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UNISA context


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Unisa Vision

Towards theAfrican universityin the service of humanity


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Social mandate

To open access to higher education

Deliver equitable high quality education

wherever people are located

Remove barriers due to distance, technology,isolation and disability

To utilise all means possible to develop

knowledge


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Institutional instruments

IOP: Goal 5: Create an enabling environment

for persons with disabilities

Employment Equity & Transformation Plan

supports the Universitys commitment to diversity as a source ofhuman excellence

Advocacy and resource centre for students

with disabilities (ARCSWiD) has two focus

areas : Student Support and Administration

Advocacy and Training
http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=19553http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=19553http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=19553http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=19553


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Overall student enrolments (active headcounts)

239,380 in 2007, 328,179 in 2011

2012 student enrolments (May): 290,259


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13

AMERICAS

EUROPE

AFRICA OCEANIA

ASIA

South Africa: 300,221

Rest of Africa: 26,024

Rest of the world: 1,746

No information: 188

2011 Registrations

328,179 students

REACH: 24/7/365 wherever they are


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Library Services for

students withdisabilities


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The Library Disability Forum acts as

the watchdog for the needs of the

client with special needs


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Services offered

Sign language interpreter from ARCSWiD

Entrance fees not charged for accompanying person Guide dogs allowed in Library

Extended loan period for library material

Special services for staff in wheelchairs

Wheelchair available in Library

Special parking

E-collections

Mobile technology


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Assistive Technology

SignGenius

2221 video clips, to learn sign language. It includes an easy

to use South African Sign Language Dictionary or Tutor

module.


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EasyConverter

coverts print to text

converts text to MP3

Converts text to DAISY

Converts text to Braille

Converts text to large print



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Dolphin Pen

Using the Dolphin Pen means that users can carry their

software with them and instantly run it on any Dolphin Pen

FriendlyPC



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Merlin desktop video magnifier

Plustek BookReader


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BookCourier - audio book player

BookSense Classmate playerdigital

talking book portable device.



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Eye-Pal

The Eye-Pal scans printed material and

instantly converts text to speech

or sends the information to a Braille

Display for the Blind and Deaf-Blind.

Faster than flatbed scanners,

the Eye-Pal takes only 3-7

seconds from the keystroke

to speech or Braille output.



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Assistive technology

ZoomText large-print keyboard

With the ZoomText Large Print Keyboard, each key and

button label is easy to see, even in low light, thanks to its

36 point keycaps and black on yellow or white on black

high-contrast colour schemes.

i i h l @ k


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assistive technology @ work


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loan period 42 days


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New Building plans


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Library Commitment: Inclusiveservices


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Bringing our communities to knowledge economiesmandatory

Inclusion central service philosophy at UNISA

Ensuring equal access to learning content

Social mandate demands it Vision compels us.

Conclusion


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Thank you for your attention.

[email protected]

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