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The Stellenbosch University (SU) Disability Unit has made it easier for staff and students to learn South African Sign Language (SASL) by making its SASL course available online for the next four weeks.

The online offering of this popular course will commence this week and will be offered free of charge.

“SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers declared 2020 as the Year for Persons with Disability at SU, but as we were planning our activities for the year, we were soon confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dr Marcia Lyner-Cleophas, Head: Disability Unit at the Centre for Student Counselling and Development.

“Nevertheless, we planned to still engage in activities but to shift these into the virtual environment. As it is the Year of Disability at SU, we have opened up a four-week series of two SASL videos per week that anyone can access and learn basic signs in their free time,” explains Lyner-Cleophas.

Participants will receive eight videos at no cost. The SASL course will continue next year with six on-campus session at a minimum cost of R120. These videos will be compulsory should participants wish to continue with the SASL course in 2021.

Send an email to disability@sun.ac.za to register for this course.

· Deaf Awareness Month is observed in September in South Africa and is part of the International Deaf Awareness Month. Earlier this month, the Pan South African Sign Language Board (PANSALB) published the South African Sign Language Charter, given the lack of access that still largely exists for deaf people in South Africa.