Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support - UFS

04/09/2026

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 💙

The 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀, where CUADS hosted an information desk and connected with students throughout the day.

Students had the opportunity to learn more about Casual Day and the work of CUADS, while Casual Day stickers were also available for purchase in support of the campaign.

It was great to see students stopping by, engaging with the team and getting involved in the spirit of Beating As One. 🪘

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
A collection of photographs from the CUADS event, showing students and staff engaging with the CUADS team, posing for photographs and interacting with the event activities and displays.

04/09/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 🪘

CUADS staff on the Bloemfontein Campus joined South Africans across the country in standing in solidarity with the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗡𝗖𝗣𝗗) for 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

This year’s theme, “𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 – 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀,” reminds us that every person has a part to play in creating a more inclusive and equitable society for persons with disabilities.

Together, we beat as one. 💙

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
A group of CUADS staff members stand together outside a building, wearing Casual Day 2026 T-shirts.

04/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿? 💙

September is 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 — an opportunity to learn more about Deaf people, Deaf culture and communication.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗟) is one practical way we can contribute to a more inclusive society. It can help us communicate with Deaf people, create greater accessibility and understanding, and is also a valuable skill to have in our personal, academic and professional lives.

At CUADS, we believe that there is always more to learn. Why not use this Deaf Awareness Month as an opportunity to start learning SASL?

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗦𝗔 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗟 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.

NATIONAL MONTH OF DEAF PEOPLE 🇿🇦
FREE SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES!

Come, come and join us! 🤟

During September, DeafSA is offering FREE South African Sign Language (SASL) classes.

Every Monday & Wednesday
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Starting Monday, 6 September

Please join us from the very first class, because this is a course that will build from one lesson to the next. If you miss a class, you may miss an important part of the course — so don’t miss out!

The classes will take place online. Please only click on the link between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays. Do not use the link at other times. https://us02web.zoom.us/my/deafsa

COME AND LEARN SASL! 🤟

It’s FREE. It’s fun. It’s for everyone.

Come! Join us! Don’t miss out!

DeafSA – Empowering through South African Sign Language

03/09/2026

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺

As part of 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies invites staff to a practical session on 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

The session will explore simple strategies for creating a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.

📅 𝟮𝟯 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
⏰ 𝟭𝟯:𝟬𝟬–𝟭𝟰:𝟬𝟬
💻 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
📧 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣: [email protected]

Everyone interested in learning more about supporting Deaf students is welcome to join.

01/09/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵! 💙

This month, we celebrate Deaf people, Deaf culture, sign languages, and the many contributions of the Deaf community.

Deaf Awareness Month is also an 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. Small actions can make a meaningful difference:

🤝 Face the person you’re speaking to
💬 Communicate clearly and respectfully
🎥 Use captions and accessible content
👋 Learn a few signs
💙 Ask people what communication support they prefer

Let’s move beyond awareness and take action to ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, respected, and included—not only in September, but every day.

Hands speak loud!

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
Several hands are shown using sign language to spell “Thank You” against a blue background.

01/09/2026

🎉 Did you know that September is Deaf Awareness Month? We are excited to kick off this important month with a special virtual event!

Join us tomorrow, 1 September 2026, as we dive into the fascinating world of South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf culture. You will hear from inspiring subject matter experts and gain valuable insights that will broaden your perspective.

Let us celebrate, learn and connect together! 🤟🏽

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/319035914057376?p=HZU26cWDhVv02iD2E6

Meeting ID: 319 035 914 057 376
Passcode: iq2ZC3Pw

28/08/2026

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 🎓💙

The 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 (𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗖) elections have concluded, and we are proud to see students with disabilities represented in the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗨𝗙𝗦 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀.

Congratulations to:
🎓 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗲𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀: Junior Obechiefu
🎓 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀: Innocentia Radebe
🎓 𝗤𝘄𝗮𝗾𝘄𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀: Chipilika Duzeni

The inaugurations for the Bloemfontein and South Campuses took place on 27 August 2026, with the Qwaqwa Campus inauguration taking place on 28 August 2026.

We congratulate Junior, Innocentia and Chipilika on their appointments and wish them well as they take on their roles in representing students and advancing universal access and inclusion across their respective campuses. 💙

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
Students are pictured during the 2026/2027 Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) inauguration ceremonies, including moments where newly elected representatives are formally sworn into office.

24/08/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

The Silent March is an annual awareness initiative aimed at 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀. The event brings together students, staff, government departments, community organisations and other stakeholders to raise awareness of Deaf culture and advocate for a more inclusive society.

This year’s march will take place on 16 September 2026, beginning at the 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗖𝗨𝗧) and concluding at the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 (𝗨𝗙𝗦). The route symbolises the shared commitment of both institutions to promoting accessibility and inclusion within higher education and the broader community.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 08:00–09:45
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: 10:00
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁: CUT Main Gate
𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁: UFS Kovsie Health Lawn
𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲: Blue attire in support of and celebration of Deaf Awareness Month.

We look forward to coming together to raise awareness, celebrate Deaf culture and continue advocating for a more inclusive society.

21/08/2026

On Friday, 21 August 2026, CUADS participated in the 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, hosted by the 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲.

We would like to extend our special thanks to the Access Office for inviting CUADS to showcase our services. We are grateful for the opportunity and for the 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀.

A special thank you to our Council Members and students who made themselves available and assisted throughout the event:

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻: Junior Obiechefu
𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 – 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Thandolwethu Thwala
𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 – 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Lesego Ramothibe
𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Khumbulani Nyandeni and Sisipho Danisa

We appreciate everyone who contributed to making the event a success.

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
CUADS representatives are pictured at an outdoor information stand, engaging with students and sharing information about CUADS services during the Bridge Activation for Menstrual Health.

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