22/06/2026
The Wits Disability Rights Unit presents a five-part seminar series titled “Beyond the Ramp: Disability, Inclusion, and Innovations at Wits”, exploring disability inclusion through access, dignity, empowerment, and innovation — bringing together students, staff, and partners to build a more inclusive campus and society.
Session 1: Access Granted – Rethinking Accessibility Beyond the Ramp
This session challenges traditional ideas of accessibility, expanding the conversation from ramps and infrastructure to attitudes, policy, and belonging. It calls on the Wits community to rethink what it means to create a campus where everyone, regardless of ability, can thrive.
Session 1 Keynote Speaker: Mr Elash Mistry
Elash is a Wits alumnus and trailblazer in the South African financial sector - in 2017, he became the first totally blind actuary in South Africa. A Fellow actuary with over two decades of experience across major life insurers and the FSCA, Elash currently serves as Business Development Actuary at Hannover Re South Africa. His journey - from the Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind to Wits, where the Disability Rights Unit played a pivotal role in his success - has opened up doors for others and contributed to the greater cause of inclusion. Passionate about coding, entrepreneurship, and self-realisation, Elash believes that true inclusion is not a bureaucratic checkbox, but a fundamental human need to belong. He dedicates himself to helping others discover their unique purpose and live a more fulfilled life.
Session 1 Keynote Title: The Power of Inclusive Education: Stories, Challenges, and the Road Ahead.
Panel Discussion: Following the keynote, join Wits staff, alumni, students, and external guests - disability inclusion experts in their own right – exploring accessibility, mental health & invisible disabilities, and technology for inclusion.
Date: 25 June 2026
Time: 13:00 – 14:30
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/zZqyCBHcxn
