The Add IDEAS Podcast

“In order to help people, we need to understand them.”In this episode of The Add IDEAS Podcast, Bandile Mndebele sits down with South African disability rights advocate Bongani Mapumulo to explore accessibility, identity, and lived experience.From navigating public spaces to conversations about masculinity, relationships, education, and innovation, this discussion brings lived experience to the forefront of how societies design systems — and who those systems include or exclude.Bongani shares both personal insights and professional work advancing assistive technology, inclusive design, and disability innovation in low- and middle-income contexts. The conversation highlights why understanding people and their lived realities is the first step toward meaningful inclusion.Whether you work in policy, education, design, technology, or simply want to better understand disability and inclusion, this episode challenges us to rethink how access, dignity, and opportunity shape everyday life.About the GuestBongani Mapumulo is a disability rights advocate and researcher focused on inclusive innovation and assistive technology in the Global South.With academic foundations in Political Science, Sociology, and Social Anthropology from Stellenbosch University, Bongani also holds advanced diplomas in Disability & Rehabilitation and Intercultural Communication.He pursued a Master of Philosophy in Inclusive Innovation at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, where his research explores how assistive technologies and inclusive design can improve opportunities for students living with disabilities in low-income communities.Referenced WorkThis conversation references the book Physical Disability and Sexuality: Stories from South Africa (2021).Edited by Xanthe Hunt, Stine Hellum Braathen, Mussa Chiwaula, Mark T. Carew, Poul Rohleder, and Leslie Swartz, and published by Springer Nature under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.Bongani’s contributions appear in:• Chapter 6 — Physical Disability and Masculinity: Hegemony and Exclusion• Chapter 7 — Bongani’s StoryNotable Mentions• Carl & Emily Fuchs Foundation• Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship• UCT Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching — One Button StudiosConnect with Bongani MapumuloLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bongani-mapumulo-828746206/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bongani.mapumulo.1Work with Bandile MndebeleHost Bandile Mndebele is available for speaking engagements, collaborations, workshops, interviews, and partnerships.Contact: [email protected] Add IDEAS Podcast is an OTHERWISE production. (00:00) - Why this conversation matters (00:21) - Background (01:57) - Moving the needle: Where to begin? (02:46) - Why are some spaces more accessible than others? (05:50) - Designing better access (07:17) - A day in the life (09:22) - The biggest challenges with access (09:51) - The importance of education (13:53) - A journey to reasonable accommodation (16:40) - Who should be leading the education? (20:43) - Globalising and normalising solutions (22:19) - In order to help people, we need to understand them (23:36) - Perspectives and lived experiences matter (25:34) - The intersections with masculinity and sexuality (30:14) - A dating life experience (32:56) - Frequent questions to be mindful of (34:42) - Being the only one (38:28) - Personal Story (45:33) - Broadening positive representation and normalising inclusion (48:31) - The importance of role models and mentors (51:24) - Most compelling message: the element of surprise (54:18) - Closing

What happens when we stop designing for an imaginary “average” person?Bandile Mndebele speaks with disability rights advocate and inclusive innovation researcher Bongani Mapumulo about accessibility, disability inclusion, identity, education, assistive technology and lived experience.The conversation explores how public spaces, institutions and technologies can exclude people—and why understanding people’s real lives must come before designing solutions for them.Inclusive design begins with listening.Guest: Bongani MapumuloTopics: accessibility, disability inclusion, inclusive design, assistive technology, education, innovation, identity, universal design and technology.The Add IDEAS Podcast is an OTHERWISE production. (00:00) - Introduction (00:20) - Personal Story (01:47) - Challenges and Activism in Student Life (05:17) - Institutional Preparedness and Accessibility (07:06) - Assistive Technology and Support (12:25) - Reasonable Accommodation and Equity (22:36) - Intersectionality and Lived Experiences (27:48) - Personal Story and Impact (28:50) - Navigating Identity and Spaces (30:25) - Challenges and Opportunities in Education (38:54) - Representation and Inclusion (41:24) - Influence of Supportive Figures (42:33) - The Importance of Early Belief (43:49) - Grassroots Representation (44:00) - Unheard Voices and Broader Solutions (45:55) - Final Thoughts

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What does it take to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem outside the usual centres of power?Bandile Mndebele speaks with Hubspace founding director and venture scout Melilizwe Gqobo about entrepreneurship, township economies, patient capital, community, enterprise development and innovation.The conversation looks beyond the mythology of the lone founder to examine the infrastructure, relationships and support systems that allow businesses to survive and grow.Guest: Melilizwe GqoboTopics: entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, township economy, patient capital, enterprise development, South Africa and business ecosystems.The Add IDEAS Podcast is an OTHERWISE production.