Desire Chiwandire  (PhD)
Chair of Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET)
Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Bird Street Campus
Port Elizabeth
Abstract
Students with disabilities’ lack of opportunity for sport and recreational activities: The case of South African universities
The post-democratic South African government has enacted various policies that oblige universities to provide conducive environments for the equal participation of students with disabilities (SWDs) in sport and recreational activities (SARAs). Despite this, research indicates that SWDs have low participation opportunities in comparison to their nondisabled peers in SARAs on campuses, with universities focusing more on the academic needs of SWDs than on their social needs. In order to describe and assess the measures being taken by South African universities to promote the participation of SWDs in SARAs, twenty-eight qualitative interviews with disability unit staff members (DUSMs) were conducted. Data were analysed using a theoretically derived qualitative content analysis in which othering was employed as a theoretical lens. The study found three broad responses: those who objected strongly to the participation of SWDs in SARAs; those who wanted to see SWDs participating in SARAs but expressed concerns over barriers; and those who fully supported the participation of SWDs in SARAs and who argued that it promotes positive academic outcomes, is a basic right, and is part of a healthy lifestyle. I recommend the need for South African universities to also prioritise the equal participation of SWDs in SARAs as a holistic way of creating an enabling environment for SWDs.
Keywords: disability sport and recreational activities, South African universities, othering, exclusion, students with disabilities, disability unit staff members
