Classrooms and facilities
The original second phase proposed ramps into the high-school classrooms, an accessible route to the steeply situated art classroom, and additional accessible toilets.
Ramping Up Hermannsburg School
Project status
Dormant for now. The vision remains.
Ramping Up is currently dormant, but the accessibility work already completed at Hermannsburg School remains in place and continues to matter. Enquiries, ideas and potential partnerships are warmly welcome.
“I would love to continue Ramping Up Hermannsburg School and build on what we have already achieved.” — Erik AndersenStart a conversation
The idea
Top-class education should be accessible to everyone.
Ramping Up was created to help make Hermannsburg School fully wheelchair accessible. The work focuses on practical access: paths, entrances, facilities and the links between different parts of the campus.
The goal is simple and enduring—to support children with mobility impairments, foster inclusion and help every child channel their grit.
Hermannsburg School
A remarkable school in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
Founded in 1856 by German Lutheran missionaries, Hermannsburg is an English-medium school offering an IEB-based curriculum with a strong focus on academics, music and leadership. The school values its cultural heritage while encouraging personal development.
Although it sits on the rolling hills of the Drakensberg ridge, many of its buildings are single-storey—making meaningful accessibility upgrades possible.
Visit Hermannsburg SchoolHelp restart the work
Support Ramping Up
The project is dormant for now, but support can help create a path back to the accessibility work at Hermannsburg School. To discuss the project directly, contact Erik:
+27 82 636 2393If you would like to make a contribution, you can donate securely through PayPal.
PayPal opens in a new window.What was achieved
Phase 1 made a real difference.
Ramps were completed into the school office, chapel and mission house. New paths connected these buildings with an accessible toilet and the coffee shop, including a safer link across the street between the office and chapel.
These are modest interventions with an outsized effect: they allow wheelchair users to participate more independently in everyday school life.
Where the work could continue
The next steps are still worth pursuing.
Connecting the campus
A longer-term phase imagined connecting the school’s three ground levels with substantial ramps or, if feasible, a lift.
An open invitation
If you have expertise, resources or a genuine interest in helping this work resume, Erik would be glad to hear from you.
info@erikandersen.co.za
The people behind the idea
Accessibility is personal.
Erik Andersen lives with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. His family’s connection with Hermannsburg School helped turn lived experience into practical improvements on the campus.
The project may be quiet at present, but the invitation to make the school more accessible remains open.