UNAIR NEWS – Since 2016, Universitas Airlangga has provided assistance for students with disabilities to participate in the ASEAN University Network Disability Public Policy Network (AUNDPPNet) Scholarship selection.
This scholarship is a part of the ASEAN University Network (AUN). It is intended for students admitted at universities that are members of AUN in a study related to master’s degree in disability public policy.
Prof. Dra. Myrtati Dyah Artaria MA, Ph.D., the supervisor of AUNDPPNet Scholarship recipients, explained that the assistance was not carried out in its true sense. According to her, students with disabilities are individuals who try to be independent.
“Students with disabilities are individuals who always try to be independent, so they are generally able to register without assistance,” said Prof. Myrtati.
Prof. Myrtati continued, most of the assistance provided was in the form of suggestions and means to communicate with the AUNDPPNet Secretariat. The usual forms of communication include preparing aid proposals and connecting with the management regarding payments made by AUNDPPnet. Furthermore, assistance is also done to help students with difficulties with their studies and need assistance from AUNDPPnet.
Prof. Dra. Myrtati Dyah Artaria, MA, Ph.D. (Photo: Personal Doc)
“I usually help students with things like these because if they aren’t helped to connect with AUNDPPnet and UNAIR, the students with disabilities will be confused,” she explained.
The lecturer, a Professor of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), also explained that this assistance is necessary because facilities for students with special needs (MBK) at UNAIR still need development and improvement.
Prof. Myrtati added that the assistance was one of the facilities provided by UNAIR to provide solutions to possible difficulties in students’ learning process.
“When a blind student needs someone to finish his PPT because he can’t see the position of the table or the attached picture,” she said.
In addition, Prof. Myrtati also said that assistance was also given to students who took the entrance test to UNAIR—for example, reading the questions for prospective students who are blind or helping prospective students in wheelchairs to enter an exam room that is not yet disability-friendly.
The assistance for students with special needs (MBK) also involves volunteers. At first, volunteers were tasked with reading question texts for blind students. Furthermore, since 2019 an open recruitment has been held to recruit volunteers.
“In 2021, there will be a recruitment of volunteers to accompany students with disabilities, but the timing is a bit late due to the pandemic conditions,” she explained.
Prof. Myrtati said that this assistance would continue as a form of UNAIR’s concern for students with special needs (MBK). Moreover, according to her, mentoring for students with disabilities is a way to hone awareness and see a world that may be different from everyday life.
“It’s not only MBK who learn from the volunteers; the volunteers also learn MBK. Basically, life is give and take. All things can be our life lessons. Everyone can be our teacher,” she concluded.
This assistance for students with disabilities is one of Universitas Airlangga’s efforts to support sustainable development (SDGs) to reduce inequalities for the proportion of students with disabilities indicator. (*)
Author: Tata Ferliana W.
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
