Doctoral Degrees (Centre for Development Support)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Centre for Development Support) by Advisor "Lange, Lis"

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    Experiences of disabled students at two South African universities: a capabilities approach
    (University of the Free State, 2015) Mutanga, Oliver; Walker, Melanie; Lange, Lis
    𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Using the capabilities approach, this thesis examines how disabled students experience higher education at two South African universities: University of the Free State (UFS) and University of Venda (UniVen). Located within the equity and inclusive agenda, the study seeks to exert influence over higher education policies and practices. South Africa prioritises equity issues. It is among the few countries in the world (156 as of 2015) to have signed and ratified one of the most acclaimed conventions on disability, the 2008 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). However, there is no legislation (in 2015) that specifically looks at disability issues in South African higher education (SAHE) and data on disabled students is thin. I argue that the capabilities approach is important in framing our understanding of disability issues in higher education. It also provides an analytical framework to measure progress towards social justice. The capabilities approach acknowledges the interplay between individual bodies and various conversion factors in the concept and construction of disabilities. This thesis advances knowledge in higher education and disability disciplines by outlining the complexities in disabled students’ lives at the two universities. This study sought to answer the following questions. 1. How do disabled students experience their studies and interact with higher education? 2. How do lecturers and Disability Unit staff understand disability and the experiences of disabled students? 3. What are the differences and similarities concerning university policies and other supporting arrangements for disabled students at the University of the Free State and University of Venda? 4. How does the capabilities approach account for the experiences of disabled students in higher education? 5. What implications can be drawn for disability policy to enhance social justice in higher education? As a result of the historical trajectories that still influence the present-day state of SAHE, two universities with different historical and cultural backgrounds were selected. UFS is a historically-advantaged urban-based white Afrikaans university. It has gone through the processes of major transformation in recent years. By contrast, UniVen is a historically-disadvantaged rural-based university. It was established under apartheid policy to serve the African black community. Officially, it reports the highest number of disabled students in SAHE. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit participants into the study. Participants included fourteen disabled students from various disability categories, four lecturers and three Disability Unit (DU) staff. Students were recruited from the DU by telephone after being provided with a list of registered disabled students. The DU staff were approached directly and recruited to the study. Lecturers were recruited through their respective Heads of Departments. An information sheet was provided to every participant; this was accompanied by a conversation with each participant before they signed the consent form. Data in this qualitative study were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations and institutional document analysis. In-depth interviews with disabled students, lecturers and the DU staff focused on their experiences with disability issues and their perceptions of the needs of disabled students. Field observations were also incorporated into the study in order to expand my understanding of the experiences of disabled students at the two universities. In order to get a comprehensive understanding of relevant issues, I spent a day with one participant at each university, in their setting from residence to the classes. I was able to determine how the students interact with their peers, what happens in classrooms and in their places of residence. Furthermore, some university policy documents (e.g. disability policies, assessment policies and residence policies) were reviewed in order to understand how the two higher education institutions (HEIs) purport to address issues and then the results of the review were juxtaposed with what was gathered from the other mentioned data collection methods. Data were analysed thematically with the help of NVivo software and five key findings emerged from the students’ data. Findings from this study highlight the complexities around the adoption of an identity as a disabled person by these students. Understanding disability within a given social and cultural context is important, as interpretations of what is disability are influenced by context. The study also found that, as a result of the current thinking around disability, some practices and non-actions in higher education perpetuate injustices towards disabled students, although their intended goals are to create opportunities for all students. Another finding from the study is that, in most cases, the challenges faced by disabled students in higher education are not the same and they respond to these challenges differently. It was further found that regardless of these challenges, disabled students have the capacity to aspire and they showed educational resilience. The last finding from the students highlights that disabled students, just like other students, know what they value in higher education. Participating students identified key valued freedoms and opportunities that are needed to access and succeed in higher education. Eleven key valued freedoms and opportunities were extrapolated, and I argue that these are needed for the formulation of socially just disability-inclusive policies. Interviews with university staff show a lack of awareness among lecturers on disability matters due to lack of training and at times this is compounded by their socio-cultural backgrounds and job expectations from their universities. On the other hand, DU staff showed an appreciation of disability matters. However, their efforts at times are compromised by arrangements within the university linked to lack of national and university policy guidelines. The thesis ends by suggesting some key points for SAHE to consider for an inclusive-disability policy framework.