2025 Disability Indaba Champions Inclusivity and Empowerment

On Thursday, 4 September 2025, the University of Venda proudly hosted the 2025 Disability Indaba at the Sports Hall, an event that proved both impactful and inspiring. The day began with attendees gathering at the traffic circle next to the Disability Unit, setting a powerful tone for a gathering centred on awareness, inclusion, and transformation. More than 300 participants attended under the theme: The importance of creating an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of their abilities, feel valued and supported.

Far from being a mere formal occasion, the Indaba symbolised a firm commitment to dismantling barriers and promoting equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. Through compelling presentations, student-led contributions, and thought-provoking discussions, the programme aimed to foster a more inclusive academic environment, not only at the University of Venda but also within the broader educational community.
In a world still grappling with systemic inequality, the Disability Indaba stood as a significant stride towards a future where every voice is heard and every individual valued.

The UNIVEN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Bernard Nthambeleni delivered a sup-portive address. He praised ongoing inclusivity efforts on campus and reaffirmed the University’s commitment that no student be left behind due to disability. Professor Nthambeleni urged the removal of physical, digital, and attitudinal barriers, calling on staff and students alike to foster an equitable academic environment. Acknowledging the vital role of students living with disabilities, he reminded the audience that diversity is a strength of the University, stressing unity, empow-erment, and collective responsibility in championing accessibility for all.

At the 2025 Disability Indaba hosted by the University of Venda, keynote speaker Ms Nompu-melelo Maponya delivered a powerful address that highlighted the potential of individuals with disabilities to lead, contribute, and innovate in society. Drawing from her personal journey and professional experience in biodiversity administration and environmental management, she challenged universities to move beyond symbolic gestures by investing in practical measures such as accessible infrastructure, informed policies, assistive technologies, and tailored academ-ic support. She underscored that disabilities vary widely, and therefore, support must be person-alised rather than generic, while fostering empathy, respect, and awareness through workshops, training, and open dialogue.

Ms Maponya’s message centred on the belief that true inclusivity begins with seeing people with disabilities as individuals first, not defined by their impairments. She encouraged resilience and persistence, sharing her lived experiences of overcoming physical barriers, social exclusion, and discrimination. Advocating for the principle “Nothing about us without us,” she called for direct involvement of people with disabilities in decision-making processes. Her address was a compel-ling reminder that inclusivity is not optional but an essential, long-term investment in building a future where diversity is celebrated, and every person is seen, heard, and empowered.

Professor Henry Kiplangat marked Disability Awareness Day by affirming that inclusivity is not an act of charity but a commitment to equity, dignity, and opportunity for individuals with disabilities to thrive. He urged society to reflect on its strength through its treatment of marginalised groups, emphasising that people with disabilities seek respect and equal footing, not pity. Reiterating the university’s dedication to accessibility across teaching, infrastructure, and support services, he framed disability as a unique expression of human potential. He called on students and staff to embrace inclusivity as a guiding principle, stressing that no student should be left behind and that transformation requires empathy, persistence, and shared responsibility.

Ms Bekebu delivered a heartfelt and thought-provoking message emphasising that inclusion is not tolerance but unquestioned acceptance. Drawing from both scholarly work and her personal experiences growing up around children with disabilities, she challenged the audience to see inclusive education not as a policy goal but as a moral imperative. She urged lecturers and aca-demic staff to value diversity within class-rooms as a strength, not an obstacle, and to go beyond superficial inclusion. Her key message was that fairness is not about treating everyone the same but giving each person what they need to thrive.

Representing the Disabled Student Council, Ms Pride Ngomani expressed deep ap-preciation for the Disability Indaba, especially the moving keynote address by Ms Maponya. She highlighted the importance of hosting such events regularly to continu-ally raise awareness and improve inclu-sivity for students living with disabilities.
She reminded the audience that not all disabilities are present from birth, life events can bring change and stressed the need to accept individuals for who they are. Ms Ngomani acknowledged the university’s ongoing academic and psychological support and encouraged students to partic-ipate actively in all campus events.
Mr Bernard Matsoso, a PhD candidate at Deakin University (which country), shared insights from his research into inclusive practices at universities like UNIVEN. His work explores disability through the lens of Ubuntu; a philosophy centred on shared humanity.
He emphasised that awareness and inclusion must go beyond students with disabilities, extend-ing to all university stakeholders, including cleaners and ad-ministrative staff. He announced plans to connect students with disabilities to scholar-ship opportunities in Australia and ex-pressed his desire to partner with the university for works.
Prof Lindiwe Mulaudzi when welcoming the audience to the event described the Inda-ba as a vital moment to reflect on the experiences and contributions of people with disabilities within the university. Emphasising inclusivity as the event’s core message, Professor Mulaudzi called for increased awareness, advocacy, and action to ensure all students, regardless of ability, are given equal opportunities to succeed both aca-demically and socially. She stressed that the Disability Indaba serves as both a cele-bration and a catalyst for transformation in higher education.
Dr Refilwe Pila-Nemutandani closed the event commending the University’s leader-ship, appre-ciating the guest speaker’s courage in sharing her story, and emphasising values such as per-sistence, Ubuntu, and recognising the strengths of all students, especially those with disabilities. She reminded attendees that true inclusion demands collective advocacy and active participa-tion.
The Disability Indaba highlighted the urgent need for genuine inclusion, driven by em-pathy, awareness, and structural support. It affirmed that true transformation begins when every voice is heard and every individual is valued.

Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811