NOLUTHANDO DLAMINI
Durban — The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Disability Rights Unit along with the Students with Disabilities Association held their first-ever This Ability event recently.
The event’s purpose was to empower students with disabilities and educate the non-disabled students.
The dean of students, Clement Moreku, requested that the DUT family understand and be sensible to the conditions, experiences and challenges that students with disabilities face.
“But also to say that our students with disabilities, it doesn’t mean that they are not able, that’s why they are here. They are here to be skilled, they are here to become knowledgeable in terms of the different qualifications that they have registered in. Our mission as DUT is to ensure students become graduates who can adapt to the world out there, allowing them to contribute in life,” Moreku said.
A respected motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur, Musa E Zulu, praised the students with disabilities for embracing and adopting the term “This Ability”.
“At the end of the day, it’s ‘this ability’ if we want to assert ourselves. The more we define ourselves in the negative, the more we will be looked at as ‘Oh, look here they come, let’s see what we can do about them’. If you introduce yourself or roll into an audience with full confidence of who you are – I am ‘this’ not ‘dis’ – then every other door simply opens,” said Zulu.
The author seeks to inspire not only students, but also individuals with disabilities in the workplace to share their experiences and perspectives with the world. Emphasising the importance of self-advocacy, the author encourages people with disabilities to take ownership of their stories and introduce themselves to others, fostering greater understanding and inclusivity.
“The reason why people don’t know us is because we have not necessarily introduced ourselves in a way that a person can hold onto, read widely and even get emotional about our state of affairs,” he said.
On the other hand, Zulu also wishes to address the able community to practise inclusivity even in the working environment.
“I am in a wheelchair, and I want you to treat me as a person in a wheelchair. How can you do that? By creating infrastructure, including ramps and lifts, so that I can access the whole environment without restriction, but there is also much more than the environment. It is also to accept me as a person in diversity and to understand that by including me you are creating a vibrant culture of diversity. If you accept me as an element of diversity, there is no sympathy or even empathy about it, it is natural,” said Zulu.
Sifanele Jula, the chairperson of the DUT Students with Disability Association (SwDA), reiterated the significance of the event and the creation of platforms where people can engage in meaningful dialogue.
“We will only be able to move past the barriers of fear and ignorance if we all commit to setting a time and a place and having the difficult conversations. We have to create platforms that are driven by a genuine desire to change the institution for the better, and it is in that place where people may feel comfortable enough to have the honest and scary conversations,” he said.
He advocates for more enhanced inclusivity measures, and suggested regular workshops and training programmes to be implemented to cultivate awareness, empathy, and understanding among staff and students.
Jula suggested: “A committee consisting of disability officers, support staff, academic staff, and students should be formed, and this committee’s mission should be to assess whether the institution is properly accommodating each type of disability, then benchmark that accommodation with other institutions and consult experts on how to develop and implement a master plan.”
He added: “So as much as we have people within DUT who are committed to ensuring the university experience of students with disabilities is improved, I don’t think there is going to be meaningful change until a holistic approach is taken.”
Nqobile Khuzwayo, who will obtain her diploma in business and information management in September, suffered a hypoxic brain injury which was caused by cardiac arrest in 2011, which later resulted in her acquiring an electric wheelchair for daily use. She described her memories of her first academic year at the institution as being “bitter-sweet” because she was misunderstood by her lecturers, who called her hurtful names such as “thing”.
Khuzwayo said two lecturers were able to advocate for her, which helped her be understood by all lecturers. In addition, she said students had a misconception that she was unable to work.
“Many people assumed that I was unable to do anything for myself, which is not true. I am very computer-literate, and I can do many things that so-called ‘normal people’ cannot do. Something I hated was being pitied. When people feel sorry for me on campus, I would tell them that I was not comfortable with the way they treated me; if I needed help, I would ask for it,” she said.
She urges her peers to treat them with inclusivity and respect, recognising that disabilities come in many forms.
“I wish students could treat students with disabilities as human beings, and include them in conversations and activities, just as you would with any other classmates. They also need to recognise that disabilities come in many forms – visible and invisible. Each person’s experience is unique, so it’s important to be considerate and open-minded. Don’t make assumptions based on someone’s disability. Each person has their own strengths, interests, and abilities We are all unique. Ask and listen – if you are not sure how to assist someone with a disability, it’s okay to ask politely. Respect their preferences on how they want to be treated and supported. Lastly, be patient and supportive because some tasks may take longer for students with disabilities,” she said.
A resilient third-year journalism student at DUT, Minenhle Zikhali, has overcome adversity with determination and courage. After undergoing surgery to remove a congenital tumour which resulted in a shortened leg, he now wears a caliper shoe to aid his mobility. Having faced ridicule in high school, Zikhali found a welcoming and inclusive environment at DUT, where he can thrive and pursue his passions without barriers.
“People didn’t assume what happened to me, but they rather wanted to know more about my disability. They would ask questions like whether my heel was heavy or not, or if the heel was attached to my leg? Which, the answer is no to both questions. So, I would say that the stereotypes and misconceptions kind of stopped as the years progressed.”
Zikhali added: “My whole life I have lived in fear and hiding. I was afraid of people’s reactions towards me whenever they saw me. Especially in high school, I was even afraid to walk to the dustbin to throw something away. Then when I met Mr E Zulu (his mentor). He showed me a different version of the world and he helped me to embrace who I am.”
The journalism student embodies the essence of This Ability, demonstrating remarkable resilience and artistic flair. With mentorship from Zulu, he has evolved into a powerful voice for inclusivity and toured the nation in 2022 to share his poignant poetry and uplift people with disabilities. His talents have been recognised by Zulu’s prestigious Valhalla Arts, where he now works as part of the team using his creativity and passion.
Zikhali believes that when both the abled and disabled communities break the misconceptions and stereotypes they have, only then can there be a united community filled with love.
“I long for a time when students do not shy away from engaging with students with disabilities. I wish they knew just how open-minded they are, and all it takes is a simple ‘Hello, how are you doing’ to start a friendship. But also, students with disabilities also need to break the misconceptions that they have of other people. They need to bring the walls down and let students and people know who they are,” remarked Zikhali.
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