This is a special section of the University of Dar es Salaam’ resource centres, which is coordinated by the School of Education, catering for students with special needs, such as the vision-impaired, the physically impaired, and the hearing-impaired. The Unit provides services to University students with such special needs, and it has five members of staff who are specialists in sign language, Braille and counselling.

Historical background of Special Needs Education Unit

The special Educational Needs Unit of the University of Dar es Salaam was established in 1978/79, when two students with visual impairments were registered. The unit offers special educational needs unit to students with special needs. The unit is allocated at the School of Education Building Changanyikeni road room number 215, 202 and 204. The School of Education through the department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies –EPCS coordinates the Unit. SENU supports students across all colleges, schools, institutes, units and directorates of the University of Dar es Salaam main Campus. These include students with visual impairment (blind and low vision), hearing impairment (deaf and hard of hearing), physical impairment,.

The following are some of day to day duties that the unit performs;

• Transcription of ink prints into Braille format
• Preparation of talking books and tactile materials whenever required for students with visual impairment.
• Organizing and conducting orientation and mobility training for students with disabilities at the beginning of each academic year.
• Facilitation of acquisition, keeping, and distribution of equipment and other learning materials to students with disabilities
• Recruiting of readers for students with visual impairment and note takers for students with hearing impairment.
• Day to day guidance and counseling to students with disabilities, readers and note takers
• Facilitating students with disabilities to efficiently conduct their duties during the field / practical training
• Promoting public awareness to the university community about rights and potentials of persons with disabilities.
• Sign language interpretation for deaf students during teaching sessions
• Training in use of assistive devices to students with disabilities
• Minor services and maintenance of assistive devices/equipment available in the unit.
• Organizing and supervising recreational activities and study tours for students with disabilities.

In the 2012/2013 academic year, the special education unit served 17 visually impaired students, 08 physically impaired, 09 hearing impaired, 06 students with Albinism, 01. Also the unit served also postgraduate students, who were 4 in total. Currently, we have more than these students as indicated in the following table;

A summary of number of students with special needs registered for 2018/2019

POLICY ON DISABILITY AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The following are parts Contained in the policy

1. Overview, Policy Environment and Rationale
2. Swot Analysis
3. Situation Analysis
4. Major Intervention Areas, Policy Issues, Policy Statements and Strategies
5. Governance of the Policy
6. Monitoring and Evaluation

Principles of the UDSM Disability Policy

• Respect of Diversity and Non-discrimination:
  • UDSM community shall accept and respect the inherent differences of students and staff with disabilities.
  • UDSM community shall Respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy
• Accessibility:
  • Students and staff with disabilities will be guaranteed a conducive atmosphere to access different services provided by UDSM.
  • UDSM shall ensure access to education that is responsive to student‟s unique needs.
  • UDSM shall ensure provision of accessible and usable learning/working resources and environment to students and staff with disabilities.
• Equal Participation:
  • Students and staff with disabilities will be given an avenue with a good environment to participate in various UDSM activities and decision making
  • Student's specific needs, to be placed at the centre of curriculum planning, development and implementation to enhance equal participation in education
  • Provision of appropriate support services for every student and staff with disabilities to ensure that their unique needs are met.
• Social justice: Ensuring fairness when engaging with students and staff with disabilities

Goal

• The aim of this policy is to outline the principles and provisions that would guide the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) towards becoming a universally accessible and supportive university for staff and students with disabilities. The policy offers an overarching framework for promoting universal access for people with disabilities. It does this by designating appropriate structures, guidelines and processes that guide the inclusion of staff and students with disabilities on campus.

1.6 Objectives

The objective of this policy is to provide practical guidance on the management of disability issues at the University of Dar es Salaam and more specifically to:

1. Ensure prospective and current staff and students with disabilities are not discriminated during provision of its services.
2. Ensure that anticipatory action is taken as far as is reasonably practicable to provide inclusive working, learning and teaching and access to university facilities and services.
3. Ensure that wherever possible, reasonable adjustments are put in place for staff, students, prospective staff and students with disabilities to enhance their productivity.
4. Provide equality of opportunity for students and staff with disabilities to promote their recruitment, retention, development and progression.
5. Promote a positive working and learning environment for students and staff with disabilities.

In that respect, the specific objectives of the policy to staff and students with disabilities are:

Staff with Disability

• Ensuring that staff with disabilities have equal/equity opportunities at the University.
• Maximizing the contributions/potentials, which staff with disabilities can make to the University.
• Facilitating recruitment, return to work, job retention and opportunities for advancement to improve persons with disabilities' employment prospects at the University.
• Promoting a safe, accessible and healthy workplace for persons with disabilities.

Students with Disability

1. Identification of students with disabilities at the University of Dar es Salaam.
2. Providing equal access to academic and social opportunities through reasonable adjustments.
3. Creating an atmosphere where students with disabilities acquire the needed skills and confidence to self-disclose and self-advocate in an academic, social, or work environment.
4. Supporting the work of the College/School/Institute by ensuring that reasonable accommodations are properly and effectively administered without compromising the academic integrity of the University of Dar es Salaam.
5. Providing programmes and information to students, college, staff, that increase awareness on disability issues and the accommodation process.
6. Providing special guidance and counselling services to students with disabilities.

Scope

This policy applies to all students and staff (academic and administrative members), as well as individuals who have a contractual work relationship with the UDSM, including service providers. Each member of the University of Dar es Salaam community has a responsibility of familiarising herself/himself with this policy to ensure that her/his conduct does not violate the principles and the spirit of this policy. In this respect, this policy applies to University of Dar es Salaam as a whole that is the physical and non-physical environment of living, learning and teaching, which includes the academic, co-curricular and community spaces

Institutional Coordination on Disability Services:

The Special Education Needs Unit (SENU) of the University of Dar es Salaam is currently providing academic support services to students with disabilities. The Unit is responsible to ensure that students with disabilities are enrolled in their various academic programmes, attain reasonable accommodations, and have access to key services necessary to enable them achieve their academic goals. The Unit is also expected to pioneer equality and equity for students with disabilities at the University, and therefore it is responsible for disability mainstreaming in all policies and practices at UDSM. However, there are coordination issues that impedes effective provision of disability services to staff and students with disabilities at the University of Dar es Salaam as explained in section 4.1.1.

Infrastructure and Facilities:

Accessibility is one of the general principles of the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and is adequately provided for and elaborated in Article 9. The CRPD further in Art. 24 provides rights to inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning for people with disabilities, while Art. 27 provides for right to work in accessible, accommodative and friendly working environment. These rights are recognised in the 2004 National Policy on Disability and localised in the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act. No. 2 of 1982 and the 2010 Persons with Disabilities Act. Sec. 27, 34 and 35 respectively. Towards, realisation of inclusive educational settings and inclusive working environment at the University of Dar es Salaam, a universal design approach to spaces, facilities and infrastructure is essential. The University of Dar es Salaam has made commendable efforts towards becoming a model inclusive University in the country and beyond. However, there are architectural and structural hurdles affecting access to university facilities

One of the elevators in University of Dar es Salaam buildings to support people with disabilities.

Parking areas at the University of Dar es Salaam for cars and motorcycles of people with disabilities.

Walk paths at the University of Dar es Salaam to ensure public places are accessible for people with disabilities.

Side paths at the University of Dar es Salaam for people with disabilities.