Building on the success of the flagship Deaf Awareness initiative hosted at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 2025, the School of Clinical Medicine (SoCM) and the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies, this year joined forces again to create a memorable and meaningful experience for learners from the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind in Thaba Nchu.

Under the theme “Creating Hope for the Future through Science,” the initiative brought together learners, staff and partners for a day centred on adventure, skills development, inclusion and, most importantly, fun.

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The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences hosted the learners, and the programme was designed to provide opportunities for exploration, learning, and meaningful engagement, while fostering connections and demonstrating the power of collaborative initiatives in creating more inclusive and accessible spaces within higher education.

The enthusiastic and dedicated team from VR Med kickstarted the day by giving the learners a firsthand introduction to the world of emergency medical care and the work of paramedics. The team transformed the learning experience into an engaging and memorable adventure.

The second activity of the day took the learners to the UFS Health and Wellness Centre for an interactive and thought-provoking session led by the director of the centre, Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee. The session focused on an important aspect of holistic well-being: understanding and managing emotions and feelings in healthy and constructive ways.

From the natural sciences to the exciting possibilities offered by technology, the learners’ next stop was the Department of Geology, where they were welcomed into a world of discovery, innovation, and imagination.

One highlight of the visit included an opportunity to explore the Department’s in-house museum and to interact directly with both staff and students. The learners were introduced to an impressive collection of rock specimens and were fascinated to discover that some of the seemingly magical rocks they had heard about, including rocks that glow in the dark, are very real. Their excitement and curiosity were evident as they explored the specimens and discovered fascinating stories.

For the rest of the day, the learners had meaningful contact with science, healthcare, technology, multilingualism, student support services and the broader university community, the initiative translated the UFS vision and strategic priorities into a lived experience of access, belonging, and possibility. The day fostered curiosity, collaboration, discovery, and personal growth, while advancing key strategic priorities including academic excellence and impact, transformative institutional culture, diversity and inclusion, holistic development, meaningful community engagement, and sustainable partnerships.