For years, students with disabilities arriving at university found themselves cut off from a big part of their lives: sport. At school, many were used to being active and included through para sports like goalball or boccia. But once they stepped onto a campus, the opportunities disappeared.
After five years of planning, the University of the Western Cape (UWC), through a joint effort between the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSwD) and UWC Sport, will launch the Para Sports Initiative - a collaborative project grounded in the belief that physical activity fosters not only fitness, but also mental health, social connection and a sense of belonging.
“Para doesn’t mean paraplegic; it means parallel. It’s about creating sporting codes that run alongside mainstream sport, so students with disabilities don’t feel left out of university life,” said Administrative Assistant at OSwD, Craig Loubser, whose focus is student wellness and support.
Students with Disabilities
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSwD) was officially opened in 1996 and launched its new, universal design office in September 2019. The unit forms part of the Centre for Student Support Services, under the Office for Student Development and Support and provides a well-equipped space and counselling for differently abled students. OSwD facilitates universal access to higher education for students with disabilities at UWC.
As the Office strives to ensure that all its registered students receive the same opportunities as the wider student population, the services are broadly targeted at three levels:
- Supporting prospective students in their pre-university phase;
- facilitating a successful transition into UWC; and
- Enhancing the employability profile of students and graduates.
Built on the principles of social justice, OSwD engages students as partners for advocacy and success. It provides reasonable disability-specific accommodations and assistive technology towards its students’ academic success. This includes the conversion of academic material into various formats and overseeing departmental tests and exam procedures.
The initiative will start small, focusing on sports that individuals can play regardless of numbers like wheelchair table tennis, boccia and pickleball. Pickleball is said to be the world’s fastest-growing sport. Pickleball is a racquet game that allows students with and without disabilities to play together, making UWC the first South African university to embrace it.
What makes the project special is the principle of “nothing about us without us”. Students with disabilities won’t just participate; they’ll help run the initiative, taking on leadership and administrative roles, said an excited Loubser.
The excitement kicks off with a Para Sports Activation on 10 September 2025 outside the Jakes Gerwel Hall at the UWC Main Campus in Bellville from 1pm to 2pm. The official Para Sports Launch follows on 19 September 2025 at the UWC Sports Stadium sports field and netball court. The event will showcase pickleball, para table tennis, boccia, seated volleyball, and recreational games, marking a milestone for inclusive sport at UWC.
“Our goal is to create a space where students with disabilities can stay active, feel connected, and know they belong on and off the court,” emphasised Loubser.
As Loubser stressed, the initiative is about including differently-abled athletes at UWC, which is already home to students whose journey show what is possible when determination meets opportunity.
One of them is Allanzo Donn-Lea Mapoe, a Boland Provincial Blind Cricket player. The 21-year-old has beaten the odds to achieve success as a visually impaired athlete and encouraged differently-abled students to do the same.
“I started playing blind cricket at the age of eight after being introduced to it by friends, and some of my proudest moments include making the Boland team and competing in the T20 national championships. But my greatest achievement is where I am right now, standing at the brink of graduating from university. For many people with visual impairments, this opportunity is not easily within reach, and I am grateful for the determination and support that have carried me to this point,” he said.
His message is simple: “Don’t let the voices that say ‘you can’t’ distract you. People don’t know your journey, and they don’t know what you are capable of. Believe in yourself, keep pushing forward, and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve,” said the final-year BA Arts and Humanities student.
Another advocate of differently-abled athletes is first-year UWC student, Thando Ngcikwe, who discovered para-surfing, also known as adaptive surfing, in 2021 through a research programme with the Roxy Davis Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organisation that promotes adaptive surfing as both a competitive sport and therapy for people with disabilities.
Image: Supplied“From the very first moment, I fell in love with the sport and knew I wanted to pursue para-surfing full-time,” said Ngcikwe. Since then, he has competed in numerous surfing competitions, consistently attending trials for nationals.
“Even though I haven’t yet made the national team, just being able to travel across the country, take part in trials, and connect with others in the differently-abled community has been one of my proudest achievements. It’s about camaraderie, solidarity and celebrating together through sport,” he said.
Ngcikwe’s leadership extends beyond sport. In 2023, he was elected chairperson of the Metro East District Representative Council of Learners (RCL), and later deputy chairperson of the Western Cape RCL, advocating for the rights of students with disabilities on national platforms.
“For me, the doors that have opened, the people I’ve met, and the recognition I’ve been able to bring to students with disabilities are my proudest accomplishments,” he said. “I take pride in the journey, the progress, and the opportunities I’ve been blessed with.”
