African Universities Urged to Redesign Inclusion as Disability Access Lags Critically Behind

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has issued a strong call for a fundamental overhaul of how African universities approach inclusion, warning that current systems remain structurally exclusionary—particularly for students with disabilities.

Addressing delegates at the 3rd Edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) Africa Universities Summit in Nairobi, Manamela challenged institutions to move beyond symbolic commitments and instead embed inclusion as a core design principle across all aspects of higher education.

"Inclusion is not a speech. It is design," he stated, underscoring the need for a paradigm shift that reimagines universities not for a "typical" student, but for diverse learners from the outset.

Disability Inclusion: A Systemic Failure, Not a Marginal Gap

Manamela revealed stark data that highlights the scale of exclusion faced by students with disabilities. In South Africa—one of the continent's more advanced higher education systems—students with disabilities accounted for just 1.3% of public university enrolments in 2023, while across the broader post-school education and training system, the figure hovered at approximately 1%.

"These are not figures of inclusion at scale. They are signs of how much work remains to be done," he said.

The Minister emphasized that the issue is not confined to admissions processes, but is deeply embedded in institutional design. He pointed to systemic shortcomings including:

• Inaccessible physical infrastructure

• Poorly designed digital learning platforms

• Limited availability of assistive technologies

• Inflexible curricula that fail to accommodate diverse needs

• Insufficient staff training on inclusive teaching practices

According to Manamela, universities continue to operate on outdated assumptions of a "standard" student profile, thereby excluding a significant portion of the population.

Beyond Access: Rethinking the Entire Education Ecosystem

A key innovation in Manamela's address was his insistence that inclusion must be treated as a foundational design framework, rather than a corrective measure applied after systems are built.

This approach aligns with the concept of universal design for learning (UDL)—an educational model that integrates accessibility into the initial design of curricula, infrastructure, and technology. By adopting UDL principles, institutions can proactively eliminate barriers rather than retrofitting solutions.

He stressed that achieving meaningful inclusion requires a coordinated transformation across multiple dimensions:

• Policy and funding frameworks that prioritize accessibility

• Curriculum reform to accommodate diverse learning styles and needs

• Investment in digital accessibility and assistive technologies

• Capacity-building for educators and administrators

• Inclusive campus planning and safety measures

Gender Equality: Progress Uneven Across the Continent

While disability inclusion remains critically low, Manamela also highlighted persistent gender disparities in higher education across Africa.

South Africa has made notable progress, achieving a female majority in university enrolment. However, much of sub-Saharan Africa continues to face significant gender gaps, with an average of 80 women enrolled for every 100 men.

Using Kenya as a case study, he pointed out that tertiary enrolment rates stand at approximately 13% for men and 10% for women, illustrating the structural barriers that still limit women's access to higher education.

Importantly, Manamela cautioned against oversimplified narratives that frame gender equality as a zero-sum game.

"The task is not to choose between women and men. The task is to build institutions capable of producing equality for all," he said.

From Rhetoric to Accountability: The Push for Data-Driven Transformation

A central theme of the Minister's address was the urgent need for measurable outcomes in transformation efforts.

He called on universities to publish disaggregated data across key indicators, including:

• Enrolment and participation rates

• Retention and completion outcomes

• Graduate employment statistics

• Disability access and support services

• Representation in leadership positions

"Without that, we do not have transformation. We have anecdotes," he warned.

This data-driven approach is intended to shift the sector from performative commitments to evidence-based accountability, enabling policymakers and institutions to track progress and identify gaps with precision.

Higher Education and the Broader Social Context

Manamela also situated the challenges within higher education within a wider socio-economic framework, emphasizing that inequalities in universities mirror those in society at large.

He highlighted interconnected issues such as:

• Poverty and unequal access to resources

• Labour market disparities

• Social and geographic inequalities

• Unequal schooling systems feeding into tertiary education

"The higher education question is inseparable from the social question," he said, calling for integrated reforms that link education policy with economic and social development strategies.

South Africa: A Case of Progress and Persistent Inequality

Reflecting on South Africa's trajectory, Manamela acknowledged significant gains in expanding access to higher education, particularly for women and historically disadvantaged groups.

However, he noted that deep structural inequalities remain, especially in:

• Leadership representation

• Graduate employment outcomes

• Disability inclusion and accessibility

This dual reality, he argued, demonstrates both the potential of policy-driven reform and its limitations when not accompanied by systemic change.

A Call to Action: Designing the Future of African Higher Education

Closing his address, Manamela urged African universities to embrace a transformative vision that goes beyond access to ensure equity, success, and empowerment.

"Our task is to build an education system that reflects the society we want: balanced, fair, accessible and equal. Not access without success. Not inclusion without power. But real equality," he said.

His message signals a growing recognition that the future of higher education in Africa depends not only on expanding enrolment, but on fundamentally redesigning institutions to serve all students—regardless of ability, gender, or socio-economic background.