The Disability Service from the Office for Inclusivity and Change provides support, advice and specialist services for people with disabilities. In striving for a discrimination free and inclusive environment, they work to remove barriers facing students and staff.

The Service celebrated its 21st anniversary in December 2024, demonstrating an established institutional presence focused on disability inclusion.

  • Scholarly work published in 2024 documents UCT as a case study in disability-inclusion practice in higher education — this research describes UCT’s strategies for inclusion and confirms the university’s ongoing efforts to make learning and campus life more accessible.
  • There is institutional documentation indicating processes for workplace/employee accommodation (forms and procedures for requesting reasonable accommodation), showing support exists for staff who require adjustments. (An HR/employee privacy/accommodation form is publicly visible in institutional document copies.)
  • Historical and follow-up reporting (and academic reviews) record that UCT has invested in physical accessibility measures (ramps, adapted toilets, lifts where terrain permits) and in services such as South African Sign Language (SASL) interpretation for events — these features are referenced in institutional histories and UCT news coverage of accessibility work.

Services provided

Real time text transcription

To assist Deaf students with lecture content peer transcribers are sourced from the student’s class and selected after passing a text transcribing test for speed and accuracy. They transcribe the lecture in real time as the lecture is in progress. Google drive and Google docs are used for captioning and reading.

South African Sign Language interpreters

South African Sign Language interpreters are available for Deaf students during lectures and at key UCT events.

Material for visually impaired students

Scanning and proofreading material for visually impaired students is done by Disability Service volunteers and electronic documents are text converted to accessible formats if needed. Duxbury translating software and an embosser are available for braille printing if requested and documents can also be placed in an accessible format for reading using screen reading software.

Audio transcripts

Audio transcripts of YouTube lectures for Deaf students are done by Disability Service volunteers.

Speech-to-text, text-to-audio and voice over services

Read and Write Literacy Software is used in combination with Dragon Naturally Speaking Software to provide text-to-audio and speech-to-text facilities for students with dyslexia and hand mobility difficulties. An Apple iPad voice over facility has also been used by a student with a stutter to do presentations.

Notetakers, scribes and practical lab assistants

Assistants are sourced to support students with a variety of handwriting difficulties and for Deaf students. Notetakers are sourced from the individual classes, while scribes and practical assistants are postgraduates.

Podiums and kneeling chairs

Assistive furniture is provided to support students with back injuries.

Zoomtext, large screen monitor and Merlin Magnifier

Zoomtext, a large screen monitor and a Merlin Magnifier are available in the 24-hour Hlanganani Study Space. There is also a Merlin Magnifer in the Law Library.

Disability Service study space

The Disability Service study space includes 13 computers with large screen monitors, Zoomtext, Jaws software and Merlin Magnifiers for visually impaired students.

Exam and test writing support

Support for students with a wide variety of disabilities has continued to increase. Test and exam specialised accommodations include:

  • Wheelchair users are provided with accessible exam and test writing spaces
  • Computers with special software (JAWS, Zoomtext, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Texthelp Read and Write Literacy software) are provided for students who need this support
  • Scribing assistance is available for students with handwriting difficulties
  • Assistive furniture including podiums, beds and kneeling chairs for students recovering from back surgery
  • A secluded writing space for students with epilepsy or Tourette’s (where verbalisation has to occur in a space away from the other students)
  • Comfortable furniture and an accessible writing venue for students with broken legs
  • Secluded writing venues for students with mental health conditions referred by Mental Health professionals.

Advocacy and advice

We provide advocacy and advice on disability issues, educational learning disabilities and attitudinal barriers.

Accessible venues and parking

We work with a range of campus stakeholders to improve access to inaccessible venues and provide designated disabled parking.

Accessible transport

We ensure fully accessible transport between residences and lectures.

Disability studies and research

The Disability Service makes available literature and material related to disability studies and disability research.

Disability Service volunteer recruitment

The Disability Service is supported by a team of dedicated volunteers. 

Examples of facilities & services

  • Physical access features: ramps, lifts and adapted (accessible) toilets in many campus buildings; targeted retrofits following campus accessibility audits.
  • Sign-language interpretation / SASL services: UCT has provided SASL interpretation for high-profile events and has integrated SASL into some communications and web content.
  • Residential and personal care support: UCT has modified some student residences to accommodate students who require carers or full-time support (as reported in UCT News materials).
  • Disability declaration and accommodation processes: UCT runs disability-declaration drives and has HR/employee accommodation procedures for staff (forms and processes exist for requesting reasonable accommodation).
  • Training, curriculum and inclusion programmes: Division of Disability Studies runs curriculum work and training to mainstream disability inclusion across programmes (event/anniversary reporting and academic outputs).

Building-level examples and facilities

  • Avenue Road Residence (Middle Campus) — built with disability features.
    UCT’s Avenue Road Residence (500-bed) was reported as South Africa’s first Green Star student residence and the article explicitly states the building includes “a full suite of disability features.” This is a concrete, building-level example of an accessible residence on campus.
  • Several UCT residences have been adapted to support students who need carers.
    UCT disability inclusion reporting (interviews/feature pieces) states that a number of residences were modified specifically to support students who need carers — e.g., to help with cooking, dressing or medical tasks — and cites the 2014 accessibility audit of campus buildings as the catalyst for renovations. This confirms adapted-residence capacity.
  • New academic buildings are being delivered to accessibility standards.
    UCT’s 2024/2025 reporting on new and refurbished buildings (for example the green-certified Hasso Plattner d-School Afrika) highlights that recent buildings were designed to modern standards — the d-School building calls out high building standards (GBCSA rating) and project descriptions note accessible design elements as part of that standard. This is evidence that recent campus buildings incorporate accessibility features from design-stage.