UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga’s Faculty of Psychology (FPsi) provides various facilities for people with disabilities. It is conveyed by FPsi’s Vice Dean II for Resources, Finance, and Information Systems, Dimas Aryo Wicaksono, S.Psi., M.Sc. The provision of these disabled-friendly facilities, according to him, is an implementation of Center for Inclusion (CFI) establishment by FPsi in 2013.
“For the facilities, actually we have provided standard ones such as hand-rails in toilets. Then, for each floor, we provide wheelchair access,” said Aryo in an interview via phone call, Monday, December 27, 2021. Furthermore, lifts and wheelchairs are also available in the FPsi building for students, lecturers, education staff, or guests who need them.
There is something interesting about the disabled-friendly facilities. Each lecture room provided desks for left-handed users.
“The seats mostly in the same model, a table chair in one, right? At some point, left-handed people find it difficult to write because everything is designed for the right-handed,” said Aryo.
“The Faculty of Psychology has small desks for psychological tests. The desk and the seat are separate. We place five of them in all classes on the front rows,” he continued.
He explained that the Faculty of Psychology received precious advice regarding the provision of chairs for left-handed users from students’ parents during a visit to FPsi UNAIR.
“From there, we thought, ‘Oh, I see. Left-handed friends will find it difficult to use a college bench that is only designed for the right-handed,’” said Aryo.
Aryo said that the principle of inclusion is not about shortcomings but how to accept all differences in terms of limitations and advantages with each individual having the same opportunity. “With that principle, we try to facilitate with simple things like this lecture desks,” said Aryo.
Aryo also explained that awareness of inclusive education is increasing among academics at UNAIR FPsi. He emphasized that FPsi UNAIR will orientate infrastructure development that considers elements of people with disabilities in the future.
Apart from providing disabled-friendly facilities, FPsi also provides several health facilities such as oxygen cylinders. This oxygen cylinder is provided as a preventive measure amid the current Covid-19 pandemic. (*)
Author: Agnes Ikandani
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
