Seven distinctions in matric should guarantee a pupil a place in biological sciences at any university in the country.
But the University of Pretoria’s faculty of natural and agricultural sciences deliberated long and hard on allowing Zak Claassen to enrol for a bachelor of science degree in human genetics, because its biology staff had no experience of teaching a blind student.
According to research, the few students with blindness and low vision (BLV) who pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) become frustrated and lose interest because they depend on their sighted peers to conduct lab work.
Claassen proved the sceptics wrong. He graduated cum laude with a BSc in human genetics and a BSc honours in bioinformatics, also cum laude.
Claassen, now 27, matriculated at the Prinshof School for the Visually Impaired in Pretoria and is now completing a master’s degree in bioinformatics.
His achievements prompted two academics from the university, Rethabile Tekane and Marietjie Potgieter, to conduct the first local study of successful teaching and learning strategies for a blind student in the natural sciences. The study is based on Claassen’s experiences.
The faculty agreed to admit Claassen only if his first year was spread over two “to allow for adjustment, refinement of procedures and exposure to a wide range of disciplines”.
He completed the three-year undergraduate degree in five years.
The university’s disability unit encouraged academic staff to convert Claassen’s study material, tests and exams to an accessible format and provided him with office space for tutorials.
Claassen said there was hesitancy at first, especially from academics in chemistry and bio-chemistry because of much lab work.
Mathematics was his biggest challenge, because the lecturer worked on a board
Mathematics was his biggest challenge, because the lecturer worked on a board.
Nevertheless, he singled out his maths lecturer, professor Lou Pretorius, since retired, for being “probably the most helpful”.
“He would actually come to me while the other students were busy solving an example problem and then explain it to me.”
Personal tutors, who were mostly postgraduate students, helped with courses.
“Because I couldn’t read the slides, the tutor would read and provide detailed explanations,” said Claassen.
He said if there was a question in a test requiring him to draw, he would describe it to the tutor, who would draw it.
“I had to definitely invest a lot more time than the average sighted person to get the same amount of information,” he said.
He was not allowed into the chemistry laboratory because “it would be too dangerous ... people sometimes have accidents where they burn themselves”.
The practical sessions were replaced with a research assignment.
He also did not join the other students for practicals in biochemistry. Instead, his tutor would take him to the laboratory after his peers had completed their work and do the practical for him and explain what was being done.
He was also helped by fellow students.
Claassen, who lives in Moreleta Park in Pretoria, said he was proud of his achievements.
“I do feel I worked hard for it,” he said.
Claassen's motivation, work ethic and persistence were paramount to his success
— Researchers Rethabile Tekane and Marietjie Potgieter
He was born with poor vision, and then lost his sight completely when he grew into a teenager.
In their study, which was recently published in the South African Journal of Science, researchers Tekane and Potgieter said the successful training of a blind student in science requires a team of dedicated individuals in which the student is the lead player.
“The demands of such a pursuit require that student interest, cognitive ability, emotional makeup and personality are perfectly aligned,” they wrote.
“His motivation, work ethic and persistence were paramount to his success.”
They said that before a blind student could be admitted to a science faculty, “it is essential to seek professional advice on whether the student’s psychometric profile matches their study and career choice”.
The two academics said that their findings confirmed that tutors played a major role in this “success story”.
“Tutoring a blind student is a specialist assignment, one that sighted peers cannot reasonably be expected to do.”
Their study also concluded that “curricular demand and large class sizes at the undergraduate level rule out the active involvement of the lecturer in the provision of support to a blind student”.
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