Education for all

MASERU-Dr Litšepiso Matlosa’s PhD research was born out of frustration.
Two events stand out for her. Both happened during her early years as a teacher at the National University of Lesotho (NUL)’s Africa language and Literature department.

The first was when she attended a meeting in which one of the participants had a hearing impairment. Throughout the meeting, she watched the person using sign language while another translated to the rest of the people.
“That was my first time to have a meeting with a person who had a hearing impairment,” Matlosa says.

At that moment she instantly knew she was lacking something as a university teacher.
“Here I was, calling myself a linguist yet there was a language I could not understand.”
Matlosa started thinking of research related to disabilities.

And if there was any lingering doubt that this was the right direction to take, the second incident strengthened her resolve.
She knew that a visually impaired student in her class would bring a tape recorder to take notes. As she recalls, the student did not say anything to her.

Trouble came when she set a test. A call from the administration made her realise that she had made a terrible mistake.
“I was told that I was supposed to take the question paper to the administration office so that it can be translated into braille for the student,” says Matlosa.
“That second incident made it even clearer to me that as lecturers we unknowingly deprive such students their access to learning.”

“Sometimes we are aware of their needs but we do not know how to address or meet them. So, I decided to learn about issues of disability so that I can be in a position to advocate for their educational rights.”
Yet even after completing her PhD studies Matlosa could see there was something missing in university.

“I knew I was not the only teacher facing challenges effectively teaching students with disabilities. I could see that we needed to do more as a university to make the institution more inclusive.” That is how the Advocacy Team for Inclusion (ATI) came about in 2017. Made up of students, lecturers and non-academic staff, ATI advocates for an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone at NUL.
The group’s efforts have started paying off.

One meeting, in particular, led to an initiative that has transformed the lives of students with disabilities at the university.
In 2018 the group was invited to make a presentation at Sekhametsi Development Trust (SDT), the corporate social investment arm of Sekhametsi Investment Consortium (SMIC).
Matlosa and her team took along several students with visual impairment and one with hearing impairment.

“After that meeting, SDT delivered glasses for the visually impaired and a computer for the one with hearing impairment,” Matlosa says.
What followed was the establishment of the Sekhametsi Disability Centre at the NUL and a M1 million grant. The money has been used to buy computers, recorders, reading software and Perkins Braille Machines to help students with disabilities. Ramps are also being constructed around the campus to make areas accessible for students with disabilities.

The centre is now a haven for 15 students with disabilities. Seven are completely blind, seven partially blind and one is hard of hearing.
Relebohile Matobo, the Special Education Needs Assistant at the college, says the centre has made the student’s lives better.
“The help from STD has helped the university create a conducive learning environment for the students. We have been able to buy the learning tools they need,” Matobo says.

Johannes ‘Mokose is a visually impaired student in his third year of a Spiritual care and Counselling degree.
‘Mokose says he spends most of his time at the centre “because that is where my learning tools are”.

“It is because of the tools in the centre that I can meet my academic goals. Thanks to their help, my learning materials are transcribed into braille and I have software that helps me study,” ‘Mokose says.
He says he opted for Spiritual care and Counselling because he wants to “help people cope with the psychological pressures of the world”.
“People are struggling out there and they need counselling and spiritual care. This course equips me with the knowledge to help them.”