Advocating for digital independence of the visually impaired student
By Dr Ashley Subbiah
South Africa has adopted significantly progressive legislation in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in particular articles 24 (education) and 27 (work and employment), to draft its national disability rights policy. This is evidenced in the white papers 6 (policy on inclusive education) and 3 (policy on transformation of South African higher education).
Essentially, the country’s policies speak towards the enabling of more inclusive and wider access to tertiary education, the addressing of systemic exclusionary barriers prohibiting the pursuit of and successful completion of tertiary qualifications and the improvement and quality of holistic support services in the development of highly productive graduates.
As highlighted in the 2020 Disability Online Research and Practice Indaba, which was themed “No Student Will Be Left Behind: Reimagining higher education