Abstract:

This paper focuses on the implementation of inclusive education in higher education institutions. The government’s policies on employment equity and inclusive education require that higher education institutions put into place measures that afford students with disabilities access to learning. The paper makes an attempt to clarify inclusive education, an understanding of students with special needs and what is required to provide them with accessibility and success in their studies. Most of the students with disabilities enter higher education coming from special schools under which most of their needs were catered for under special education provision. These schools provided an environment which was the students’ “own turf” with amenities and learning programmes well adapted. Moving out of the special school environment into higher education poses challenges both for the students and the higher education institutions. This is because on the one hand, students have to adapt to a different learning environment while on the other hand the institutions have to adapt to these students’ needs. The paper highlights some of the challenges for both the students with special needs and the higher education institutions that have to accommodate them.

Keywords:

Inclusive education, students with special needs, universal design, higher education institutions, accessibility.