Using Information and Communication Technologies to Address Inequities in Education for Learners With Disabilities in Higher Education: The Case of South Africa

Introduction

Higher education plays a pivotal role in the lives of students worldwide, despite their colour, ethnicity, social standing or disabilities. A university is a place where diverse students from different walks of life come to achieve their dreams. It is a place for them to grow and empower themselves with the knowledge, skills and credentials they need to one day join the work environment and become economically viable members of society. Learners with disabilities are like any other student; they too have dreams and aspirations of pursuing their studies within a tertiary institution. They too crave economic independence and a place in society. To this day, the question is often raised: “Are universities accommodating to all students?” More often than not as the researcher will illustrate, many universities lag behind in catering to the needs of learners with disabilities. The sad reality is that learners with disabilities often struggle in higher education and have a difficult time adjusting because they do not have the necessary infrastructure and support in place to cater to their needs. However, as social activists, lobbyists and governments’ recognise the need for equity in higher education for the learners with disabilities, changes are slowly underway in many countries across the globe and the research suggests that there is hope on the horizon for these learners. In the past, if a learner with a disability wanted to pursue a tertiary educational dream, this would have proved difficult. Today, technology has transformed the face of teaching and learning for learners with disabilities and made major inroads to improve the lives of these learners within universities worldwide.

In this chapter, the following key areas will be discussed in detail. They are as follows:

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  The different learners with disabilities at university

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  Reflection on how students with disabilities are often marginalized in higher education.

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  Challenges faced by learners with disabilities at University

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  The Disability Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

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  How South African universities respond via policy to the learners with disabilities

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  How ICT’s can bridge the divide by providing quality education to students with disabilities

The discussion will begin by outlining the different learners with disabilities at university.

The Different Learners With Disabilities At University

According to the World Health Organization around one billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability. The South African government has estimated that about 5% of the South African population have a disability (Statistics South Africa, 2011). While legislative and policy developments in SA seem a step in the right direction, actual enrolment figures of students with disabilities at South African universities are still extremely low, and are estimated to be at less than 1% of the total student population (FOTIM 2011). According to the World Health Organisation (2012), disability arises from the interaction between an impairment, in a person’s body function or structure, and the society in which that person lives. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2016) defines a disability as a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment, which may hinder a person’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.