NWU CHAMPIONS DIVERSITY AND STUDENT INCLUSION

Abygail Smit

@Abysmit06

 

North-West University (NWU) is renowned for their ability to include students from different ethnicities and make them feel at home, as well as creating a campus that embraces different cultures every day. Recently the NWU has widened its inclusiveness with the introduction of a new library service, the Universal Access Zone (UAZ). 

 

An interview was held with Dina Mashiyane, Senior Management of the Library’s outreach, projects and quality departments. Ms Mashiyane stated that although the service is only in the planning phase, the staff are very excited for this new development. “It is not about the number of students who use these facilities, but about the quality of assistance they receive, regardless of how many students use said facilities.” she said. This kind of response and attitude is what sets the NWU campuses apart from the rest in the country. 

 

The UAZ will be accessible to all registered NWU students, just like all the other library services the NWU has to offer. Students who make use of wheelchairs or other physical aids will have enough space to comfortably work in the room and the doors also open automatically with the help of sensors installed in the floor. The space also provides soundproof rooms for students who are hard of hearing.

 

In addition to the space provided to students, the NWU also recognises that specialised hardware and software that can accommodate disabled students are expensive and have thus done thorough research into providing these resources to the students who need them. The Ferdinand Postma Library already has a fully functioning bathroom for disabled students, which works with a button to open and close the door. 

 

Software programs such as text-to-speech tools, voice assistants, and screen readers can be costly to install and maintain, particularly for a university aiming to provide top-quality resources. In addition, hardware components like computers are expensive to purchase and set up. Specialized equipment such as joysticks and pedals further increases the overall cost.

 

Although the NWU is excited to embark on this journey of further bettering our campus facilities, they will need financial aid to ensure the project is successful. Working closely alongside the Disability Rights Unit (DRU), the NWU library aims to raise needed funds through marketing and advocacy, if people are more aware about the facility they will spread the word. 

 

“This facility isn’t only for students but for staff members as well, we do not want to raise expectations as the facility isn’t in full function yet, but we are very excited about the prospects it brings.” Ms Mashiyane explained. The UAZ will be a pilot project here at the Potchefstroom campus and then will be implemented at the Vanderbijlpark campus and the Mahikeng campus. Students and staff members are both very excited to experience and make use of a groundbreaking, diverse facility such as the UAZ. 

 

The desks in the Universal Access Zone (UAZ) still wrapped in plastic as it is still designed and developed (Source: YouTube)

 

The toilet created for wheelchair bound students that uses the red and blue button for easier access and usage (Source: YouTube)

 

Edited by Mhlengi Khumalo