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TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES IN OPEN DISTANCE E-LEARNING
Open accessAbstract
The transformation of higher education, in line with the South African Constitution, has led to increased enrolments of students with disabilities.However, limited research has been conducted on teaching and learning support these students receive.Access of students with disabilities in higher education is a human rights issue yet research shows that it has not been linked to increase in instructional support.As such, their participation has been limited.Some of the barriers limiting their participation are lecturers' negative attitudes due to lack of disability awareness and the unavailability or inadequacy of support in teaching and learning.As a result, higher education institutions have not succeeded in creating enabling teaching and learning environments for these students.This paper seeks to initiate discussion about the teaching and learning support needs of students with disabilities, particularly in an Open Distance e-Learning context and to propose strategies that can be employed to increase the quality of their participation and improve their academic outcomes.
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“The reasonable accommodation in place does not seem to redress the daily challenges faced by these students at an open distance e-learning university despite the policies and legislature in place.”
From Transformative Research Paradigm: A Response to SDG 4 by Intensifying Support Scholarships for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students at an Open Distance and E-Learning University (2021) · cites this paper as Ntombela (2020, 18)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“There seems to be increased access for students who are Deaf and hard of hearing (SDHH) to study at an open distance e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa. This has come with several inclusion, integrational and transformational challenges despite the legislature and policies in place.”
From Transformative Research Paradigm: A Response to SDG 4 by Intensifying Support Scholarships for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students at an Open Distance and E-Learning University (2021) · cites this paper as Ntombela (2020, 18)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“According to Ntombela (2020), there is little to no interaction between the disability section, known as the Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities, and academics in a particular university.”
From Equitable access to digital higher education for students with disabilities in South Africa (2025) · cites this paper as Ntombela 2020
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“This is in spite of the fact that the unit is headed by administrators who lack information about the requirements of the curriculum’s mandate to organise advocacy campaigns and advocate for resources.”
From Equitable access to digital higher education for students with disabilities in South Africa (2025) · cites this paper as Ntombela 2020
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Equitable access to digital higher education for students with disabilities in South Africa
Zongozzi, J., & Ngubane, S. (2025) · African Journal of Disability · doi:10.4102/ajod.v14i0.1525 · Cited by 15
“According to Ntombela (2020), there is little to no interaction between the disability section, known as the Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities, and academics in a particular university.”
Matjila, T., & van der Merwe, P. (2021) · Social Science Research Network · doi:10.25159/unisarxiv/000010.v1 · Cited by 2
“Transformative Assumptions The transformative paradigm that focuses on empowering and eradicating despotic formations around research participants concerning student support functions is supported by Pitsoe and Letseka (2016, 83).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- NTOMBELA, S.
- Affiliations
- University of South Africa (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- NTOMBELA, Sithabile
- ORCID
- NTOMBELA, Sithabile
- Venue
- Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education
- Published
- 2020-07-01
- Pages
- 18-26
- ISSN
- 1302-6488 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3040252486
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5
- FWCI
- 4.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (publishedVersion)
- DergiPark (Istanbul University) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- University of South Africa
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Disability Education and Employment
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disability Rights and Representation
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
- Keywords
- students with disabilities, open and distance learning, online learning, teaching and learning support, disability awareness, lecturer attitudes, barriers to participation, higher education access, human rights, educational outcomes, South Africa
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