Browsing by Author "Joubert, Karien"
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- ItemAccess denied? The holistic lived experience of disabled students at Stellenbosch University : 1986-2007(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Joubert, Karien; Van der Merwe, Schalk; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the holistic lived experience of physically disabled students who studied at Stellenbosch University (SU) between 1986, the national year of the disabled and 2007, when the first dedicated disability unit was established at SU. Although this period reflects a generally transitional phase in wider South African history, with an increased emphasis on social equality, the consideration of the position of disabled individuals in this narrative is largely under-represented. The institutional and social elements of university life are explored as both constitute an integrated student life, while the specific position of disabled students is considered from a variety of angles. Official archival material provides insight into institutional responses to the question of disability. Societal narratives concerning disability are explored through an investigation of the disability-related articles which appeared in the Stellenbosch University publications Matieland and Die Matie between 1986 and 2007. Individual elements are also incorporated through a small-scale qualitative study consisting of 11 individual semi-structured interviews with physically disabled SU alumni. A non-linear narrative emerges throughout this period, in the sense that improvements and developments did not follow in any particular chronological order. The reasons for this are varied and cannot be limited to any single element. The institutional environment makes provision for disabled students in various ways, but a gap in the dissemination of information is evident, indicating that students were not always aware of available accommodations and services. Stellenbosch University was revealed to have a particularly long history of accommodating blind and partially sighted students as well as disability sport. A total of 83 articles from Matieland and Die Matie were explored. These also indicate a non-linear portrayal of disability issues and often vacillate between depictions of disabled students as ‘superheroes’ or ‘sub-humans.’ Interview data revealed that disabled individuals were frequently encouraged to pursue a university education, although access to information and the built environment remained an issue. The independent initiative on the part of disabled students and individual involvement of various staff members were key factors in facilitating success in the institutional environment. Disabled students were revealed to have vastly diverse social experiences which were linked to neither type of disability nor period of study. They participated in the social environment through a variety of networks while at university and encountered various public responses to their disability. Ultimately, this study indicates that physically disabled students navigated the university experience at SU between 1986 and 2007 with various levels of institutional and social support.