UNAIR NEWS – As an effort to support the realization of an inclusive campus, the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held a National Symposium entitled “Towards a Disabled Friendly Campus” on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at Nanizar Zaman Joenoes Hall, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus C, UNAIR. For the symposium, FKM UNAIR also invited speakers from La Trobe University-Australia and Brawijaya University.

The program divided into two sessions presented speakers from both lecturers and students. In the first session, there were Dr. Dina Afrianty (La Trobe University, AIDRAN); Slamet Tohari, MA., (UB Disability Service and Study Center); and for the second session, there were Alfian Andhika (Disabled Student, Department of Anthropology, FISIP UNAIR); Dr. Dwi Prasetyo (Student Volunteer Coordinator with Special Needs); and Prof. Dra. Myrtati Dyah Artaria, MA., (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UNAIR).

Vice Rector IV UNAIR Junaidi Khotib, S.Si., M. Kes., Ph.D., Apt. attended and opened the event. In his remarks, Junaidi said that UNAIR supported people with disabilities to get the same rights, both education and facilities.

The meeting is expected to formulate ideas and implementation plans that can be applied by all parties at UNAIR.

“Thus, all students or academics, disabled or not, can feel Universitas Airlangga as their home,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Tri Martiana, dr., M.S. Dean of FKM UNAIR also said that with the symposium, all parties at UNAIR will be more prepared in providing educational services for prospective students with disabilities. Hopefully, FKM UNAIR itself, can also prepare better in terms of the learning process, facilities, and the mentoring process.

Slamet Tohari, MA., the initiator of Center for Disability Study and Services of Universitas Brawijaya (PSLD UB) in his presentation said that people with disabilities need supporting institutions and facilities, including in the field of education. But in its practice, running an inclusive institution also requires extra effort.

Efforts can be made such as preparing special pathways for accepting students with disabilities, providing support for disabled students such as mentoring, conducting training on disability awareness, opening teaching innovations for lecturers aimed at students with disabilities, and providing rewards for disability supporters in campus.

“Being an inclusive campus is fun, there will be a lot of research and innovation coming in, especially in terms of development,” he said. (*)

Author: Ulfah Mu’amarotul Hikmah

Editor: Binti Q Masruroh