UNS — The Disability Study Center (Pusat Studi Difabilitas – PSD) Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta assist 15 new students with disability in the academic year of 2020/2021 in G.P.H. Haryo Mataram Auditorium, Monday (28/9/2020). On the occasion, PSD LPPM UNS also assisted in the form of scholarship, Laptop, and phone credits for two semesters.
The Chief of PSD LPPM UNS, Prof. Munawir Yusuf stated that in the academic year of 2020/2021, UNS accepted 15 new students with disability in various faculties in UNS. The new students have different disabilities, including physical disabilities, blindness, and deafness. Fifteen students with disability are invited to UNS for mentoring for the beginning of university classes. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only 7 new students attended the mentoring.
“The new students need mentoring for the beginning of their university years. Especially, to introduce the campus environment where they will learn and centres for student services concerning the administrative, academic, and student affairs. We need to know their special need, and we will try to facilitate and fulfil their special needs. We need to know their home, or even their hostel if they stay in the hostel, who accompanied them in their hostel. We need to know their daily mobility, their means of transportation. We also need to know what they expected from us to support their study,” Prof. Munawir explained.
Prof. Munawir continued with the example of supports for the new students, such as for the blind and those in a wheelchair, they need to be introduced to the safe tracks to go to the campus, library, laboratory, administrative room, program management, dean, and rector office. “We need to assist them only at the beginning. They will be able to take care of their mobility later. For those with sensory disability or deafness, the new students with a disability need assistance from sign language interpreter when joining a lecture. From 15 new students with a disability, 2 new students are Judo National Training athletes, Yovan Rate Azis from the Undergraduate Program of Special Education (PLB) and International level runner, Marchelino from Undergraduate Program of Sports Training,” he added.
The mentoring program is provided in the classroom for several meetings that started on Monday (28/9/2020), followed by orientation and mobility practice to introduce the campus environment as needed. PSD and the Association of Special Education Indonesia (APPKHI) symbolically handed scholarship and laptop to two new students with blindness and deafness, and phone credit for a year to all students with disability. The funds are collected from the donator and partners of PSD LPPM UNS and the members of APPKHI collected spontaneously.
Meanwhile, the Rector of UNS, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho welcomed PSD LPPM UNS initiative to assist new students with disability 2020. “There are no UNS students with disabilities who drop out of college. If you have trouble whether it’s related to lectures or finances, contact me directly,” Prof. Jamal explained.
Prof. Jamal also delivered his gratitude to PSD LPPM UNS who works with Indonesian Braille Literacy Center (Balai Literasi Braille Indonesia – BLBI) Ministry of Social Affairs RI, to expand the access to education and development of Higher Education Tri Dharma, especially through pioneering the establishment of the UNS Braille Center.
“I appreciated the idea and initiative on the establishment of UNS Braille Center, because braille-based literature is learning facilities for blind people. I hope that UNS Braille Center will become a center for education and strengthen the services in UNS Central Library, which currently provides study room for people with disability under the name Disability Corner,” Prof. Jamal stated. Humas UNS
Reporter: Dwi Hastuti