Access to higher education for disabled students in South Africa: a contradictory conjuncture of benevolence, rights and the social model of disability

Abstract

The structures of support services for disabled students in the South African higher education system find themselves in a contradictory conjuncture of rights, benevolence and the social model of disability. To elucidate this argument, this paper (a) outlines the status of support provisions for disabled students in South Africa; (b) compares the state of these support provisions with those of the UK and the USA; (c) compares the different paths taken by South Africa and the developed countries in general towards disability rights. It concludes that South Africa seems to be moving along a contradictory path and that it should make a commitment to prioritize equal access to higher education for disabled students.

Acknowledgements

This paper comprises extracts and arguments from my Ph.D. thesis. I thank my supervisor, Associate Professor David Cooper (University of Cape Town), for the intellectual environment he provided, the Spencer Foundation Scholarship for generously funding my doctoral studies and sponsoring my stay at Harvard University to conduct part of my fieldwork, the Council on Higher Education for funding the national survey on the support provision for disabled students in South Africa up to the finalization of my thesis.