UNM Students Secure National PKM Funding for Disability-Inclusive Transport Initiative

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Students from Universitas Nusa Mandiri (UNM) have developed a social and humanitarian-focused innovation. The UNM student collaboration team, known as ‘DISABI Team’, secured funding under the Student Creativity Programme (PKM) for the Constructive Idea Video (PKM-VGK) scheme, organised by the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs (Belmawa). As a Digital Business Campus, UNM continues to encourage students to develop innovations that are not only creative and adaptable to technological advancements but also deliver tangible societal impact. The DISABI Team’s success came through a proposal titled ‘Development of a Smart Accessibility Model for Inclusive Public Transport Systems to Optimize Mobility for Persons with Disabilities’. The proposal introduces an inclusive, modern, and integrated public transport concept to enhance mobility for persons with disabilities in public spaces. Under the PKM-VGK scheme, the team visualised a constructive concept for a smart accessibility-based public transport system designed to be more disability-friendly. The accessibility issue was chosen to reflect students’ concern for equality in accessing public facilities. The DISABI Team is led by Muhammad Rizky Pradityato from the Digital Business Study Programme, with members Cahaya Widi Salsabila and Nabeel Afzaal also from Digital Business, Keysha Meyuna, and Abi Rizky Pradana from Management. All research, ideation, and proposal development were conducted under the intensive guidance of academic supervisor Johan Hendri Prasetyo. Johan Hendri Prasetyo expressed appreciation for the students’ enthusiasm and social concern in delivering digital innovation-based solutions for the community. ‘This achievement demonstrates that UNM students possess not only academic ability and creativity but also social awareness of societal issues. The DISABI Team has successfully developed a relevant, solution-oriented idea with real potential to impact the disabled community,’ said Johan. He hopes the students’ concept will continue to be developed for real-world implementation in the future. ‘We hope the Smart Accessibility concept does not remain at the competition stage but serves as inspiration and a reference for developing more inclusive public transport systems in Indonesia,’ Johan added. Meanwhile, UNM Digital Business Study Programme Head Lia Mazia stated that the DISABI Team’s success proves Digital Business students can integrate creativity, technology, and social empathy in an innovation. ‘We are very proud of the DISABI Team’s success in securing national PKM funding. This proves UNM Digital Business students are not only focused on technology and digital business but also capable of delivering solutions with wide-reaching societal impact,’ said Lia in a release received on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. She noted that cross-programme collaboration is a key strength for students in creating more innovative and timely ideas. ‘As a Digital Business Campus, UNM continues to encourage students to actively innovate, think critically, and have the courage to present out-of-the-box ideas capable of addressing modern societal challenges,’ she added. The DISABI Team’s achievement proves UNM students can compete nationally through creative ideas that are not only technologically innovative but also carry humanitarian and social value. Through this achievement, Universitas Nusa Mandiri hopes more students will be inspired to continue creating, collaborating, and developing creative solutions for society through digital innovation.