​"During the lockdown, it's difficult to imagine a time after the pandemic, but we will get through it; just take each day as it comes."

These are the words from Luigia Nicholas, a postgraduate student at Stellenbosch University (SU), to her fellow students. She is the second person to manage the portfolio of special needs in the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The first person to hold this portfolio was Bongani Mapumulo, an honours degree student in Social Dynamics, in 2019.

"I had to learn to adapt to my disability. As the second person to be appointed to the portfolio in the history of this University, I hope to draw on the lessons and experience gained from working with the needs and challenges facing students with disabilities to help students with disabilities and the broader university community move forward together towards a more accessible Stellenbosch University."

She completed her BCom Marketing degree last year and was one of the hundreds of graduates whose qualifications were conferred upon them during a virtual ceremony in April this year. With no break after completing her degree, Luigia is now enrolled for a Postgraduate Diploma in Tax Law.

Luigia has a happy and spontaneous personality. She lives life to the fullest. "I fell in love with studying and have a passion for accounting and tax. So I was delighted when the opportunity arose for me to study tax law."

She hopes to specialise in taxes for persons with disabilities. "I find this field fascinating. Many people do not understand the tax implications if you have disabilities. I can play a role here."

Two hereditary conditions, Stargardt's Disease and Fuchs uveitis syndrome, are affecting her eyesight. These diseases cause her vision to deteriorate gradually. She and her guide dog, Haiku, are a familiar sight on campus.

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting tertiary education worldwide, students nationally and globally are reverting to online learning to continue their studies.

About this present situation of continuing her studies amidst a national disaster, Luigia says, "We must keep on moving forward. Not going to campus and not being able to interact with people was a bit of a mind-shift for me. The lockdown was difficult at first. I had to unlearn my daily routine and create a new routine which required me to stay at home."

One of her challenges was to let Haiku adapt to the new routine of isolation. Luigia and Haiku have been together every day for the last three years. Before the lockdown, the two of them went everywhere together, from classrooms to shops.

"If he wanted to walk, he would stand at the door. He worked a lot. I think the toughest thing for Haiku now is to stay indoors the whole time. He misses his daily long walks and being busy all the time," she says.

However, Luigia does not have a choice but to take him outside when Haiku needs to “use the 'bathroom'. "I worry that the police might think I'm walking Haiku while he is only on a bathroom run."

Luigia commenced her studies in 2014. She has not only attended class during these years but has been participating in many co-curricular activities ranging from completing courses in Leadership and Health and Global Citizenship at the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Institute to facilitating workshops on accessibility at SU. She is also busy completing SU's Toastmasters Speechcraft Programme to improve her public presentation skills.

In 2018, Luigia received the Dis-Maties Award for presenting a variety of workshops to staff and students at SU. She was also Chairperson (2016/2017) and Treasurer of Dis-Maties (2015/2016). Currently, she is treasurer of the SU Pulp Film Society. She participates in the Stellenbosch Disability Network (SDN).

 "My motto is to live by Harry Oppenheimer's saying of 'the infinite variety of life must be met with infinite resource'. What keeps me going, is that I know that with overcoming my struggles, I can help others overcome theirs. I work to feel that I matter and should be heard, and in that way, those with similar efforts will think that they matter and should be heard too. Hopefully, once I manage to overcome my struggles, others won't have to overcome the same struggles. We move forward together," says she.

During her remaining time at Maties, she wants to work with student leaders and organisations such as the SDN to make Stellenbosch University Africa's most accessible campus.

"I love Maties and Maties has given me so much. I want to give other students and staff with disabilities the opportunity to grow at SU as much as I have, and to have an even more accessible campus than I have."