Durban University of Technology Deaf Centre aims to advance their reach

WITH the start of Deaf Awareness Month on Friday, September 1, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Deaf Centre, which resides in the Department of Information Systems at the Ritson Campus, is working on transforming DUT to be the preferred tertiary institution for students with hearing impediments.   

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According to Petri Du Toit, the Deaf Programme Coordinator at the Deaf Centre, the recent officialisation of South African Sign Language has encouraged the Centre to develop programmes that will attract more Deaf students to enrol at DUT. “The DUT Deaf Centre plans to continue to provide its expertise at the policy level to the benefit of the South African Deaf community,” said Du Toit.

The Deaf Centre staff shared their excitement about the recent developments in the signing of the South African Sign Language Bill. The bill declares South African Sign Language (SASL) as one of the country’s 12 official languages.     

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“South Africa joins Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda in the recognition of sign language as an official language. The Deaf community has been advocating for the official recognition of sign language for the past 25 years. July 19 became a historic watershed moment for South Africa and the South African Sign Language community,” said Du Toit.   

Giving a brief background on the Deaf Centre, Du Toit said that it is a support unit for specifically Deaf students studying Information Systems and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at DUT. “It was established in the early 2000s and has facilitated equal access to information and an inclusive approach to education. The Deaf Centre has celebrated the graduation of more than 20 hearing-impaired students who now actively contribute to the mainstream economy around the country,” he said.

“Based on inclusive education principles, we provide Deaf-on-Deaf tutoring, mentoring, interpreting and translation services by trained and qualified interpreters. We promote reasonable accommodation through deaf sensitisation of academic and support staff within our department. We also offer weekly South African Sign Language acquisition classes. The Deaf Centre supports local Deaf schools through outreach programmes that empower matriculants with information on application registration and funding processes,” explained Du Toit.

For more information or interviews, contact Petri Du Toit on 072 986 4316. 

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