{"id":27863,"date":"2025-09-26T10:22:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=27863"},"modified":"2025-09-26T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:56:27","slug":"redefining-ability-beyond-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/redefining-ability-beyond-disability\/","title":{"rendered":"Redefining ability beyond disability"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Mr Kamohelo Lehoko, a VUT IT graduate living with dwarfism, embodies resilience and leadership, inspiring inclusivity and impact beyond academics.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

26 September 2025 | Story By: Tayron Mhlongo| Picture: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a02 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Redefining<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mr Kamohelo Lehoko\u2019s journey is a story of creativity, resilience, and leadership. From Sebokeng in the Vaal Triangle to graduating in Information Technology at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), he has turned challenges into stepping stones, proving that living with dwarfism is no barrier to excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on his academic path, Mr Lehoko shared: \u201cMy unique perspective has taught me to be more creative when approaching challenges. It helped me develop resilience and compassion, allowing me to connect meaningfully with people from diverse backgrounds both inside and outside the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He admits that IT was not his first choice, but over time, he grew to embrace the field and thrive within it. \u201cI grew to love it. Taking leadership roles in projects taught me that determination can overcome any perceived limitation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Mr Lehoko, obstacles are not roadblocks but bends along the road to success. \u201cDisability is truly a matter of perception,\u201d he explained. \u201cSuccess isn\u2019t just about reaching goals; it\u2019s about the positive impact I can have on others. I measure success by the connections I make and the knowledge I continue to gain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond his personal achievements, he hopes his story will serve as a voice for the voiceless. By sharing his journey and supporting others, he strives to promote a more inclusive environment where individuals of all abilities feel valued and empowered. His message to people with disabilities is both inspiring and practical: \u201cYour physical disability should never define your ability to study. You are more than enough. Focus on your strengths, celebrate your achievements, and embrace the unique perspective you bring to make a meaningful impact on someone else\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Lehoko\u2019s success is not just measured by the milestone of graduation but by the lives he touches along the way. His story reminds us that ability is not defined by circumstance but by vision, resilience, and the will to uplift others. His achievement is a beacon of hope and inclusion, shining brightly for the generations that follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Mr Kamohelo Lehoko, a VUT IT graduate living with dwarfism, embodies resilience and leadership, inspiring inclusivity and impact beyond academics.” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":27864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27863"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27870,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27863\/revisions\/27870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}