“At the beginning of the semester, I often couldn’t get into classes because I am slower and can’t register as quickly as my non-disabled friends, even though class quotas are limited.” (Irsyad, blind student at UGM).
“I struggle to access scanned books in the library because the scans cannot be read properly by the application I use to convert text into audio.” (Aulia, blind student at UGM).
What Irsyad and Aulia expressed is only a small part of the many real problems faced by persons with disabilities. These issues deserve serious attention given the significantly high number of people with disabilities in Indonesia. According to the 2020 census, there are around 40.5 million people with disabilities in this country—a number much larger than the total population of Malaysia (32.5 million), Australia (25.5 million), and especially Singapore (5.6 million). How should we serve and interact with persons with disabilities? How can we create an inclusive and equitable UGM campus?
These questions are addressed by the Disability Service Unit through various programs and services, including the Disability Awareness Training: Creating an Equal and Inclusive Environment. This activity was facilitated by Wuri Handayani, Ph.D., and the Disability Service Unit Team, and attended by educational staff from various units and faculties. It was held in the Multimedia Room, 3rd Floor, UGM Central Building, on Wednesday, 19 November 2025.
Becoming UGM as an Inclusive Campus
The Disability Service Unit (ULD) was established as a form of UGM’s commitment to building an inclusive campus. Currently, UGM has around 50 students with disabilities from diploma, undergraduate, master, and doctoral programs. Enhancing disability awareness, ULD designed this training with simulation sessions on disability assistance. Participants were divided into three groups and rotated across three stations: visual disability, deaf/hard-of-hearing disability, and physical disability.
At the physical disability station, participants practiced tips and techniques for safely lowering and raising a wheelchair on stairs. Participants, for supporting blind students, learned how to guide them along walkways, up and down stairs, and how to assist with elevator access. Meanwhile, at the deaf disability station, participants learned simple sign language to aid the communication process.
UGM, beyond disability awareness training, has been improving its buildings to be more accessible. These facilities include disability-friendly toilets, ramps, lifts, guiding blocks, designated parking areas, and more. Moving forward, UGM needs to enhance services especially during emergencies (fires, earthquakes, health emergencies). UGM should have evacuation procedures specifically for persons with disabilities, including a dedicated emergency contact number. The wheelchair users also require an evacuation chair to enable faster response during emergencies.
The training led by Wuri Handayani, Ph.D., and the Disability Service Unit Team aims to improve understanding, knowledge, sensitivity, and skills in interacting with and serving persons with disabilities. Joko Waluyo, one of the participants, said he gained three benefits from the training. First, it increased his knowledge about proper procedures for serving persons with disabilities. Second, staff members will understand the needs better of students with disabilities regarding academic and classroom support. Third, it increased empathy and encouraged staff to provide excellent service for the needs of persons with disabilities.
Training like this is very important so that the cases experienced by Irsyad and Aulia can be better understood by lecturers, staff, and stakeholders, and so that future services for persons with disabilities become more equitable and inclusive.
Understanding Disability
Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities states that a Person with a Disability is anyone who has long-term physical, intellectual, mental, and/or sensory limitations which, in interaction with their environment, may encounter obstacles and difficulties in participating fully and effectively with other citizens on the basis of equal rights.
Based on this definition, disabilities are grouped into four categories. First, physical limitations: impairments in mobility due to amputation, paralysis, and so on. Second, sensory limitations: impairments of the senses such as visual or hearing impairments. Third, intellectual limitations: impairments in cognitive functioning resulting in below-average intelligence. Fourth, invisible disabilities: mental disabilities fall into this category.
How to Serve Persons with Disabilities
There are at least four things to consider when communicating with persons with disabilities. First: ask, don’t assume. Do not assume that a person with a disability can or cannot do something; instead, ask them directly about their needs. Second: focus on the individual. Communicate directly with the person with a disability, not with their companion. Third: be patient. If something is unclear, ask again for clarification. Fourth: respect dignity. People with disabilities are ordinary human beings, the same as non-disabled individuals.
Some essential points to remember when interacting with persons with disabilities include:
- wheelchairs and other assistive devices are private property;
- always ask for permission before moving or touching wheelchairs, crutches, braces, or other aids;
- ensure that wheelchairs and assistive devices remain within the user’s reach.
Participants, in this training, received various tips for serving persons with disabilities based on their needs. For blind individuals, staff are encouraged to always greet and introduce themselves early to help the person identify who is on duty.
For deaf individuals, it is important to note that not all communicate using sign language; some rely on lip-reading. Removing face masks helps the communication process. Not all deaf individuals have total hearing loss—some can still hear limited sounds—so patience is crucial.
Several strategies were taught: they may avoid eye contact, for individuals with mental disabilities, such as autism or ADHD, which should not be interpreted as disrespect. It is important to ask them first about things they should know, avoid actions or words that may seem hurtful, avoid raising your voice, speak slowly and softly, and remain patient. Ensure they feel calm and comfortable during interactions.
Author: Linah Khairiyah Pary