UJ Disability Unit raises new wheelchairs for students through Tops & Tags Initiative

Date: Aug 12, 2020 | Media Release, News

​The University of Johannesburg (UJ), PsyCaD Disability Unit ( DU) has been awarded two wheelchairs from the Sweethearts Foundation, a 100% volunteer based non-profit organisation through the community Tops & Tags project.

The DU first participated in the project in 2018, with the aim of collecting additional wheelchairs for UJ’s physically disabled students. The UJ community contributed to the project, collecting 900kg of bottle tops in the last year that subsequently culminated in two, brand new wheelchairs.

The Tops & Tags project, with the help of local volunteers sees significant amounts of bread tags and plastic bottle tops collected and then recycled by local recycling companies.

Said Ms Leila Abdool Gafoor Team leader – PsyCaD Disability Unit: “The DU joined this project as we saw the need for the students that we support on an ongoing basis. The aim was not only receiving manual wheelchairs, but wheelchairs, which we can loan, or give to the students on a need by need basis.”

It is the constant endeavour of UJ to provide all students equal and inclusive access to tertiary education. Thus, the DU renders certain services and provides guidance and assistance to people with barriers and diverse needs. This includes supporting students who have physical disabilities and make use of a wheelchair to get around campus.

Ms Abdool Gafoor thanked the UJ community for their continued support in this ongoing project. ”This has helped our students to fully access the university from a social perspective, in that they easily get to every place in the university, as well as from an academic perspective, by making it easier to access their lectures, tutorials, practicals and so on,” she added.

The Disability Unit operates under the Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PsyCaD) at the University of Johannesburg. It serves as the central point where students with disabilities can register to ensure that they are equitably supported and accommodated while completing their tertiary education.

Should you have any queries about this project, please contact Ms Leila Abdool Gafoor on leilaag@uj.ac.za