Our Disability Studies in Education online short course empowers educators to reflect critically on how they might support disability-inclusive practice, promote dialogue within a community of inquiry; and explore support systems for educators that promote equity, equal access, and dignity for learners with disabilities. The target audience for these courses includes educators at a school, district and provincial levels and stakeholders involved in supporting the education of learners with disabilities including, school principals, learning support advisors, and district officials. Since 2021 we have had 4 cohorts (455 students). Our participants are mainly early childhood development practitioners, educators and disability practitioners from Polokwane and Kwa Zulu Natal. Through our course we have served international disability practitioners and activists through organisations such as Christoffel Blinden Mission.

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“I was introduced to Disability Studies in 2022 when I was part of a group that was sponsored to participate in the Disability Studies in Education short course. Prior to that, I felt like I had nothing much to contribute to society. I have taught Mindstorms robotics building and programming as an after school or extra mural subject since 2012 and I felt like there was nothing more I could do as a robotics facilitator. My goal was to reach one million children with robotics.

My personal defining moment occurred during a lecture on teaching children with moderate to severe visual impairments. It dawned on me that we had never taught learners with disabilities and that we had never been invited to conduct robotics workshops in special or inclusive schools.

Personally, I feel it is one of my responsibilities to drive for inclusion and transformation through robotics lessons for all children living with mild, moderate and severe disabilities.

Upon conducting brief research, I discovered a few inclusive schools and rehabilitation hospital departments that offer robot building and programming lessons to children with moderate to severe disabilities. Research findings suggested that children who participated in workshops became more social and were able to complete building tasks with minimal assistance.

People living with disabilities use assistive technology and robotics in their daily lives and it is only fitting for them to be empowered with the skills to build robots and to engage with 4IR technologies.

I have now adjusted my goal from reaching one million children with robotics to changing a million lives by advocating for robotics lessons for all children living with disabilities in schools, hospital rehabilitation centres, and communities. My experience on the Online Short Course prompted me to enrol for my Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies with UCT”.

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Inclusive Robotics Workshops

Inclusive Robotics Workshops with Lucretia Dreyer
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