Pushing for Inclusive Higher Education for People with Disabilities
Universities play a strategic role in fostering an inclusive and equitable society. However, in Indonesia, efforts to achieve inclusive higher education for people with disabilities still face various challenges.
These include limited accessible accommodation and facilities, uneven availability of support services, inadequate adaptive learning resources, and the need to strengthen institutional readiness and policy implementation at both campus and broader governance levels.
To address these challenges, Pijar Foundation, in collaboration with Hasanuddin University (Unhas) and supported by The Nippon Foundation, held the Youth University Townhall: Disability Inclusion in Higher Education — From Campus Experiences to Policy Dialogue in Makassar last week. The forum served as a campus-based dialogue platform bringing together students, young leaders, policymakers, higher education institutions, and development partners in an open, equal, and collaborative space.
Dr. Andy Lukman, Head of LLDIKTI Region IX, stressed that disability inclusion in higher education must be strengthened through data collection, coordination, and concrete policy follow-up. ‘Every citizen has the right to education, including people with disabilities. Today’s discussion has opened our eyes and hearts to the many areas needing collective improvement. Therefore, we are ready to coordinate further with Pijar Foundation and other stakeholders to ensure an inclusive culture in higher education continues to develop and be effectively implemented,’ he said.
The event featured interactive panel discussions and Q&A sessions with speakers from various sectors, including Dr. Andy Lukman, M.Si., Head of LLDIKTI Region IX; Abdullah Sanusi, Ph.D., Director of Student Affairs at Hasanuddin University; Dr. Ishak Salim, Head of the Disability Services Unit at Hasanuddin University; community representatives and young leaders; and Ellya Rizki Handayani, Program Strategist at Pijar Foundation, who moderated.
The discussions covered key issues such as access and participation of students with disabilities, campus environment readiness and learning systems, institutional governance, and alignment between campus policies, local government regulations, and student experiences.
Abdullah Sanusi, Director of Student Affairs at Hasanuddin University, said institutional commitment to inclusion must be realised through facility improvements, internal coordination, and ongoing support for students with disabilities. ‘We believe every university must prioritise disability inclusion. At Hasanuddin, we are continuously learning and collaborating with the Disability Centre to ensure disabled students have a more accessible environment, including during campus orientation activities. We hope this forum will further raise our collective awareness to strengthen inclusive campuses,’ he said.
Ellya Rizki Handayani, Program Strategist at Pijar Foundation, emphasised the importance of leadership commitment in reforming higher education governance to create inclusive education. ‘Based on Pijar Foundation’s research and direct input from ULD coordinators across Indonesian universities, a key factor in improving ULD service quality is leadership commitment and strengthening the capacity of Disability Services Unit coordinators. Therefore, Pijar Foundation advocates for enhancing ULD capacity to build a more inclusive higher education ecosystem,’ she said.
The Youth University Townhall Roadshow aims to generate collective reflections documenting the experiences of students with disabilities, strengthening relationships between students, universities, policymakers, communities, and development partners, and building a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities towards truly inclusive higher education.
These reflections are also expected to serve as a reference for future collaborative and institutional learning. (H-2)
UKRIDA has introduced the Disability Services Unit (ULD) as part of its commitment to building an inclusive, accessible, and empathetic campus.