EDS4802
ASSIGNMENT 3
2026
UNIQUE NO. 578472
DUE DATE: 30 AUGUST 2026
,Promoting accessibility - EDS4802
QUESTION 1: Definitions of Key Concepts
1.1 Disability
Disability refers to the interaction between a person’s impairment or health condition
and the physical, social, institutional and attitudinal barriers within the environment. It is
therefore not simply a characteristic or medical condition located within an individual.
The World Health Organization (WHO) explains disability as an umbrella concept
involving impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, which arise
through the interaction between an individual and contextual factors, including
environmental barriers (World Health Organization, 2001). These barriers may include
inaccessible buildings, transportation, communication systems, information and
negative social attitudes.
In the South African context, disability must consequently be understood within the
broader objective of inclusive education and equal participation. The Department of
Basic Education (DBE) recognises that learners with disabilities and other learners
experiencing barriers to learning should have access to inclusive and quality education
on an equal basis with other learners (Department of Basic Education, 2014). For
example, a learner who uses a wheelchair may experience disability when a school
building contains stairs but does not provide a ramp or lift. The physical impairment
itself is therefore not the only issue; the inaccessible environment creates a barrier to
participation.
1.2 Social Model of Disability
The social model of disability is an approach that understands disability primarily in
terms of the barriers created by society and the environment rather than treating
disability solely as an individual medical problem. The model distinguishes between an
individual's impairment and the disabling barriers that restrict participation. These
barriers may be physical, institutional, communicational or attitudinal.
,The social model therefore shifts attention from attempting to change or "cure" the
individual towards identifying and removing barriers within society. This perspective is
consistent with the WHO's understanding that disability is influenced by environmental
factors, including inaccessible buildings, transportation and information, as well as
negative attitudes (World Health Organization, 2024). For example, a learner with a
visual impairment may be prevented from participating fully in a lesson not simply
because of the impairment, but because learning materials are provided only in
inaccessible printed formats.
The social model is particularly significant for inclusive education because it encourages
schools to modify their environments, teaching practices, curricula and support systems
to accommodate learner diversity. South Africa's inclusive education policy similarly
focuses on identifying and addressing barriers to learning rather than viewing difficulties
solely as problems within individual learners (Department of Basic Education, 2014).
1.3 Reasonable Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation refers to the necessary and appropriate modifications or
adjustments made to an environment, system, procedure or practice to enable a person
with a disability to participate and exercise their rights on an equal basis with others.
The purpose of reasonable accommodation is to remove barriers that would otherwise
prevent a person with a disability from participating meaningfully.
In an educational context, reasonable accommodation may include providing additional
time during examinations, allowing a learner to use assistive technology, providing
learning materials in Braille or electronic format, providing sign-language interpretation,
changing the physical arrangement of a classroom, or making buildings physically
accessible. Such measures recognise that treating every learner in exactly the same
manner does not necessarily produce equality. Instead, learners may require different
forms of support to achieve equitable participation.
Reasonable accommodation is therefore an important principle of inclusive education
because it enables individual learners to overcome barriers while remaining part of the
, educational environment. South Africa's Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment
and Support (SIAS) promotes the identification of support needs and the provision of
appropriate interventions to enhance learners' participation and inclusion in schools
(Department of Basic Education, 2014).
1.4 School-Based Support Team (SBST)
A School-Based Support Team (SBST) is a school-level structure established to
identify, coordinate and address barriers to learning and to provide appropriate support
to learners, teachers and the school as a whole. The Department of Basic Education
states that the core purpose of the SBST is to support the teaching and learning
process. Its functions include identifying barriers at learner, teacher, curriculum and
school levels, developing strategies to address those barriers, mobilising resources and
monitoring the effectiveness of support interventions (Department of Basic Education,
2014).
The SBST may include members of the school management team, teachers and
educators with specialised knowledge or skills. It works collaboratively with teachers
and parents and may also draw on support from professionals and services outside the
school when necessary. The SBST therefore plays an important role in implementing
inclusive education because it provides a coordinated mechanism through which
learners experiencing barriers to learning can be identified and supported.
In South Africa, the establishment and functioning of SBSTs forms part of the broader
inclusive education framework. The Department of Basic Education indicates that
SBSTs are intended to identify and develop strategies to address the needs of learners,
teachers and schools, while District-Based Support Teams provide additional support
where school-level resources are insufficient (Department of Basic Education, 2024).
1.5 Inaccessibility of Services
Inaccessibility of services refers to a situation in which persons, particularly persons
with disabilities, are unable to access, use or benefit fully from services, facilities,
ASSIGNMENT 3
2026
UNIQUE NO. 578472
DUE DATE: 30 AUGUST 2026
,Promoting accessibility - EDS4802
QUESTION 1: Definitions of Key Concepts
1.1 Disability
Disability refers to the interaction between a person’s impairment or health condition
and the physical, social, institutional and attitudinal barriers within the environment. It is
therefore not simply a characteristic or medical condition located within an individual.
The World Health Organization (WHO) explains disability as an umbrella concept
involving impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, which arise
through the interaction between an individual and contextual factors, including
environmental barriers (World Health Organization, 2001). These barriers may include
inaccessible buildings, transportation, communication systems, information and
negative social attitudes.
In the South African context, disability must consequently be understood within the
broader objective of inclusive education and equal participation. The Department of
Basic Education (DBE) recognises that learners with disabilities and other learners
experiencing barriers to learning should have access to inclusive and quality education
on an equal basis with other learners (Department of Basic Education, 2014). For
example, a learner who uses a wheelchair may experience disability when a school
building contains stairs but does not provide a ramp or lift. The physical impairment
itself is therefore not the only issue; the inaccessible environment creates a barrier to
participation.
1.2 Social Model of Disability
The social model of disability is an approach that understands disability primarily in
terms of the barriers created by society and the environment rather than treating
disability solely as an individual medical problem. The model distinguishes between an
individual's impairment and the disabling barriers that restrict participation. These
barriers may be physical, institutional, communicational or attitudinal.
,The social model therefore shifts attention from attempting to change or "cure" the
individual towards identifying and removing barriers within society. This perspective is
consistent with the WHO's understanding that disability is influenced by environmental
factors, including inaccessible buildings, transportation and information, as well as
negative attitudes (World Health Organization, 2024). For example, a learner with a
visual impairment may be prevented from participating fully in a lesson not simply
because of the impairment, but because learning materials are provided only in
inaccessible printed formats.
The social model is particularly significant for inclusive education because it encourages
schools to modify their environments, teaching practices, curricula and support systems
to accommodate learner diversity. South Africa's inclusive education policy similarly
focuses on identifying and addressing barriers to learning rather than viewing difficulties
solely as problems within individual learners (Department of Basic Education, 2014).
1.3 Reasonable Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation refers to the necessary and appropriate modifications or
adjustments made to an environment, system, procedure or practice to enable a person
with a disability to participate and exercise their rights on an equal basis with others.
The purpose of reasonable accommodation is to remove barriers that would otherwise
prevent a person with a disability from participating meaningfully.
In an educational context, reasonable accommodation may include providing additional
time during examinations, allowing a learner to use assistive technology, providing
learning materials in Braille or electronic format, providing sign-language interpretation,
changing the physical arrangement of a classroom, or making buildings physically
accessible. Such measures recognise that treating every learner in exactly the same
manner does not necessarily produce equality. Instead, learners may require different
forms of support to achieve equitable participation.
Reasonable accommodation is therefore an important principle of inclusive education
because it enables individual learners to overcome barriers while remaining part of the
, educational environment. South Africa's Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment
and Support (SIAS) promotes the identification of support needs and the provision of
appropriate interventions to enhance learners' participation and inclusion in schools
(Department of Basic Education, 2014).
1.4 School-Based Support Team (SBST)
A School-Based Support Team (SBST) is a school-level structure established to
identify, coordinate and address barriers to learning and to provide appropriate support
to learners, teachers and the school as a whole. The Department of Basic Education
states that the core purpose of the SBST is to support the teaching and learning
process. Its functions include identifying barriers at learner, teacher, curriculum and
school levels, developing strategies to address those barriers, mobilising resources and
monitoring the effectiveness of support interventions (Department of Basic Education,
2014).
The SBST may include members of the school management team, teachers and
educators with specialised knowledge or skills. It works collaboratively with teachers
and parents and may also draw on support from professionals and services outside the
school when necessary. The SBST therefore plays an important role in implementing
inclusive education because it provides a coordinated mechanism through which
learners experiencing barriers to learning can be identified and supported.
In South Africa, the establishment and functioning of SBSTs forms part of the broader
inclusive education framework. The Department of Basic Education indicates that
SBSTs are intended to identify and develop strategies to address the needs of learners,
teachers and schools, while District-Based Support Teams provide additional support
where school-level resources are insufficient (Department of Basic Education, 2024).
1.5 Inaccessibility of Services
Inaccessibility of services refers to a situation in which persons, particularly persons
with disabilities, are unable to access, use or benefit fully from services, facilities,
