Graduates from 2012 and onwards will be computer literate. They can therefore operate in any environment and at whatever level as they can communicate easily and efficiently. As for the visually impaired they need orientation at their work place and can work independent of a helper. DRC can assist employers in placement of any students with a disability/condition.

Graduates with disabilities are hard - working and usually stay longer with organisations that they join after graduating. Graduates who have joined the teaching profession have good records of producing high percentages passes in the subjects that they teach.

Categories of Students with disabilities/ conditions who have been enrolled up-to-date

• The visually impaired (totally blind and ire partially sighted)
• The hearing impaired
• Physically challenged (those with body deformities, wheelchair-users)
• Conditions (mental illness, night blindness, epilepsy)

CODE OF PRACTICE RELATING TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES/ CONDITIONS

The UZ aims to provide students with disabilities and conditions with the opportunity to realise their individual capabilities for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development through full participation in University activities. In attaining this goal the University aims to provide special services to students with disabilities in such a manner that respects and promotes human diginity, rights and opportunities. The University recognises its obligation to provide a safe physical environment in which students with disabilities and conditions can undertake their studies.

Admission of students with disabilities and conditions

Students with disabilities and conditions are encouraged to seek admission to the University of Zimbabwe. Admission may occur through the routes that already exist in the University i.e. through standard, special or affirmative criteria.The University will only refuse a student a place on the grounds of their disability/condition where:

• the content, structure or delivery of the chosen course of study is such that the student would be prevented horn fulfilling a major port of the requirements of the course and the University is unable to provide suitable staff or facilities to allow the requirement to be met or
• the chosen course of study leads to a professional qualification and the relevant professional body has regulations which would preclude membership by persons with particular disability/condition.

No applicant be refused a place at the University on grounds of disability alone before an opportunity has been provided for full consideration of the specific support or facilities required. Any decision to refuse a place to otherwise suitably qualified candidate will be subject to ratification by a committee chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabw.

Affirmative Action to Students with a disability/condition

Though minimum standards of entry into a course at the University will be followed, special consideration will be given to students with disabilities as a result of impairments for admission to courses of their choice provided they have the minimum requirements at ”0” level and ”A” level. Such students may be admitted to courses if they have points less than the usual cutoff points required for the course for that year.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS)

ABOUT US

The Disability Support Services is a Unit of the Student Affairs Division at the University of Zimbabwe.  It is the hub of academic social and inclusive services for all students with disabilities enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe irrespective of their disability, gender, race or religion.  The DSS offers a wide range of services to facilitate equal access to education and conducive living and learning conditions for students with disabilities.

DSS provides the following services to all students with disabilities:

• Constant researching on matters of disability.
• Assisting students with disabilities in registration process and accessing accommodation on campus.
• Assisting students with disabilities to find suitable students helpers for them during their life at UZ.
• Training new visually impaired students in mobility, orientation and navigation of the university environment.
• Offering inclusive support to all students with disabilities during their university lives.
• Removing all barriers to learning and increasing physical and curriculum access to all students with disabilities.
• Raising disability awareness so that the university community has a clear understanding of disabilities to enable them to work with all students with disabilities.
• Providing curriculum support to students with disabilities.
• Identifying and supporting to meet individual needs of students with disabilities.
• Providing suitable technology including hardware and software to students with diverse disabilities.
• Developing positive self-image in students with disabilities.
• Maximising use of ICT to ensure success for transition of students with disabilities to reach their potential and become flourishing citizens who make successful transition to adulthood.
• Providing learning and other materials into braille for use by visually impaired students.
• Transcribing or converting brailled material by students into print for lecturers and other stakeholders to enable them to read the material.
• Training sign language for students with hearing impairment to facilitate effective communication.

FACILITIES

Students with disabilities are provided with specialized assistive learning devices. This provision makes life easier, enjoyable, and manageable and fully empowers the students to learn independently and avoid over dependence on helpers. Empowerment goes with responsibility.  All students are required to be responsible citizens. Specialized software for academic purposes is also freely provided for these students.  The Disability Support Services has a Library furnished with appropriately customised furniture and laptops suitable for use by students with disabilities.  There are braille embossers, computers, laptops, hard copy books, book scanners, braille books, audio tapes, discs and brailler machines.

 

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DSS AND EDUCATION 5.0

To keep pace with the national vision as spelt out in Education 5.0, the Disability Support Services Unit plans to diversify and widen its operations in order to be self-sufficient in meeting the increasing needs of students with disability.  As a leading University in the country, UZ must remain the institution of excellence that provides education that changes lives of the nation for the better.  DSS plans to embrace the “Innovation” pillar of Education 5.0 and contribute to the university’s vision by creating an Assessment Centre which will include:

• An Audiological Laboratory
• Visual Assessment
• Braille Printing Press
• Sensory Stimulating Facility
• Wheelchair Assembly
• Hearing and visual testing using local materials including sonic aids and a Music Recording Studio.

Most students with disabilities are very good musicians. To achieve this, DSS will liaise and collaborate with the Faculties of Science and Engineering. Such a project will greatly generate funds for UZ, create new jobs, and support more students with disabilities nationwide.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

 Q. What services does DSS offer?  

Disability Support Services Unit is there to support students with disabilities in their academic and social life at UZ. The following are some of the services offered to students with disabilities at UZ:

• Assisting in the registration process and accessing accommodation on campus.
• Assisting students with disabilities to find suitable students helpers for them during their life at UZ.
• Training new visually impaired students in mobility, orientation and navigation of the university environment.
• Offering inclusive support to all students with disabilities during their university lives.
• Raising disability awareness so that the university community has a clear understanding of disabilities to enable them to work with all students with disabilities.
• Providing curriculum support to students with disabilities. 

Q. Which form of disability is catered for?. 

We cater for all disabilities across the board. There is no preferred disability nor do we give preferential treatment to any disability. Our policy is total non-discrimination.                                                             

 Q. Are you in partnership with other organisations?     

Society realises that disability is not a just personal problem to be solved by individuals affected and their immediate families. It is a social problem created and reinforced by social attitudes and prejudices whose solution requires resources, protections and constant interaction. So yes, we are in partnership with many public and private sector organisations, companies, institutions, individuals, friends of persons with disabilities, parents and guardians and families. It is through such partnership that we often get a lot of material and psychosocial support in our endeavour to adequately support students with disabilities.

 Q. What are the main challenges faced in this Department?  

 Education for persons with disabilities is very expensive in terms of gadgets and equipment required for them to succeed academically. Technology in assistive devices is advancing and for us to keep pace, we need support so that learning by our clients keeps pace with that of their differently-abled counterparts pursuing the same careers and studies. 

Q. Do you make a follow up of students who will have completed if they are gainfully employed? 

 Through our regular tracer studies, we try to keep in touch with as many of our graduates as possible. Our Alumni programme also operates on a non-discriminatory basis to ensure that all students, irrespective of status, are part of the alumni. We are considering to propose the creation of a permanent seat in our Alumni so that issues of graduates with disabilities are always on our radar. 

Q. What Programmes do your students enrol in?   

We have managed to dispel the myth that students with disabilities are only able to take some programmes and not others so students with disabilities are found across all Faculties.Through our orientation and career guidance system, we give guidance to ensure that disability is not a barrier to success in any program our students choose to pursue.