Dayhouse for disabled students launched

The new Abigail Mlotchwa Dayhouse for Disabled Students was officially opened in the Steve Biko Students' Union Building on 24 May.

The dayhouse is equipped with computers, a kitchen and a lounge area, and special provisions made for disabled students include a bedroom for those with back or head injuries. The facility is completely wheelchair-accessible, and all chairs are higher than usual for easier transfer between chair and wheelchair. The kitchen is equipped with two microwaves, one with a touch pad, the other with dials and buttons.

"Touch pads are fine for people with upper-limb paralysis, but usealess for blind people, who need the dials and buttons to feel their way," explains Reinette Popplestone, manager of Disability Service.

"The dayhouse serves as a base for disabled students, where they can relax and interact," says Popplestone. "Essentially it's a safe chill-out space."

The dayhouse is named in memory of Abigail Mlotchwa, a disabled undergraduate humanities student who died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage over the Easter weekend. Mlotchwa was a student activist who lobbied for the formation of the dayhouse on campus.