As head of the Disaability Study Centre, Prof. DR. Munawir Yusuf, M.Psi. says during an information dissemination on affrimative path that the University of Sebelas Maret is an inclusive campus ready to accept students with disability. What is an inclusive campus? First, it is a campus that puts hgh regards on and implements the principle of education for all. Second, it is a campus that provides equal opportunities for all people with disability and non-disability. In 2013, the University of Sebelas Maret obtains an inclusive award.
Who then are the people with disability eligible for university spot? Munawir sees may different types of disability, but any type of disability is eligible for study at universities in Indonesia. There are academic universities that insist its graduates have the academic competence at certain level of study (undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate), thus would-be students must have certain intellectual capacity. There are vocational universities that insist its graduates have certain skills to work after their study is compleoted (diploma 1, diploma 2, diploma 3, diploma 4/applied undergraduates, applied graduates, and applied post-graduates). People with disability who want to advance their academic careers must therefore have the required academic potentials. People with disability who do not have the required academic potentials are better off to choose vocational studies at the universities.
As a speaker in the information dissemination, the head of the graduate special education program study, Dr. Joko Yuwono, M.Pd, at the University of Universitas Sebelas Maret states that the university is now accepting new students through the independent affirmative path for people with disability. "It is not different from the previous year. We call it affirmative path for people with disability without any differences in the ordering, " explains Joko Yuwono.
Five requirements to enrol are as follows. First, students must upload the scores in semester five. There may be schools that are not yet in the database, but the database itself has been lately updated to incorporate inclusive schools and schools for people with special needs. Second, there should be a doctor’s certificate regarding the disability status. Third, there should be a certificate from a psychologist regarding psychological test. Fourth, there is an interview. The WhatsApp number should be active and should be regularly checked. The process involves many psychology lecturers. They ensure that would-be students have the capacity to follow the chosen study and that there are no challenges. Fifth, there should be preparation for non-academic certificate – arts, sports, and logic obtained in highschools and in vocational schools. The most important this is that the quota for disabilityfor specific types of disability can be accessed by students at spmb.uns.ac.id.
The affirmative path for disability does not involve tests, but only involves preparation of documents such as a doctor’s certificate, school report, portfolio and interviews. In the last four years, the University of Seberas Maret accepted 15-20 new students with disability.
Wwhat are facilities at the university? Dr. Subagya, M.Si, suggests that there is information dissemination from the very start. Then, when new students are accepted, there is special accompaniment (even during enrolment). There is also accompaniment and special classes during university introduction session given by senior students. For people with vision disability, there is mobility introduction session. There is also sign language interpreter during study, although not all people with hearing disability get them. During practical experience, field work, and final assigment there is also accompaniment available for students who need it. There is also similar accompaniment for students who need career advice and advocacy services.
Experience Sharing by Students with Disability
A student with disability for Special Education Study at the University of Seberals Maret, Zukhrufafu Aida(Year 2) shares personal experience as a student with disability. Lecturers give exam questions in the form of full text, not pictures, which makes it easy.
Now, Aida does not follow any student activities in the campus but theatre activity outside of the campus. Last year experience during independent enrolment suggests that there should be preparation for any activity, including the path of independent test that requires long preparation. Then, the preparation includes uploading school report into the web, as well as other required documents.
Aida’s other experience involves falling down when accessing the campus because there are so many potholes along the way.
Colaboration for Scholarshgip between University of Sebelas Maret and PT Bayan
In 2024, the University of Sebelas Maret and PT Bayan provides full scholarship for: 1) university fee, 2) Institutional Development Fee, 3) Book Procurement cost, 4) apprenticeship costs, 5) living costs, 6) transport costs, and 7) costs associated with preparation of final assigment. This scholarship comes with criteria and requirements. The amount of scholarship is large and new students in 2024 can compete for the scholarship. The University of Sebelas Maret has a maximum quote of 20 students for the full four-year scholarship, that involves a large sum of money. The requirement includes good academic performance for four years, with the scholarship being paid directly to the University’s account, or to the student account.
One note is that students can also compete for the scholarship from PT Bayan if they graduates through the independent selection path, test-based national selection, and performance-based national selection. This year, the scholarship is only available for diploma 4 and undergraduate. (Astuti)
