Muhammad Karim Amrullah, a doctoral student in law, gave a presentation on his views regarding service standards for students with disabilities. The presentation took place at The 5th International Disability Inclusion Symposium (IDIS) at the University of Tokyo on Monday (December 2, 2024). The 5th International Disability Inclusion Symposium (IDIS) is an event aimed at advancing disability inclusion with a focus on higher education and the transition to the workforce, held in conjunction with International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The symposium brought together experts, academics, and policymakers from ASEAN and Pacific nations to discuss inclusive educational practices, student leadership development, and the transition from academic life to the workforce for people with disabilities. This event is part of international efforts to promote equality and accessibility in education and career opportunities.
The presentation was titled A Simple Law Outlook on Service Standards for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Students in Higher Education in the Republic of Indonesia (RI). During the presentation, Karim addressed several points. First, he discussed the legal perspective on persons with disabilities. Philosophically, the legal perspective on persons with disabilities was initially charity-based, (charity-based) focusing on individual incapacity, and later shifted to a human-rights-based approach by (human-right-based) recognizing the equal right to live a life. Karim cited several laws and regulations, including Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, Law No. 19 of 2011 on the Ratification of the UNCRPD, and Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights. Second, regarding the challenges in implementation, these include a lack of technical regulations at the local level, the negative perception that people with disabilities are a burden, the availability of facilities that are not utilized optimally, as well as demographic and geographic issues.
Furthermore, Karim also discussed what the university—in this case, Gadjah Mada University—has done to promote inclusivity. UGM has established a Disability Services Unit (ULD) that provides guidance on facilities and basic needs for students and faculty members with disabilities. It has also implemented Universal Design for Learningan educational approach aimed at providing broader educational opportunities for people with disabilities. UGM has also collaborated with NGOs on several occasions. One such initiative involved organizing a digital literacy workshop for people with disabilities in partnership with Telkom, as well as a national and regional educational transition program for the visually impaired. Finally, Karim also discussed steps that can be taken as a commitment to enhancing inclusivity, such as evaluating internal capacity and adapting infrastructure, increasing the involvement of people with disabilities and NGOs as partners, and continuously sharing information and conducting evaluations.
Karim’s presentation concluded with a call to all stakeholders to continue supporting disability inclusion across various sectors, including education and careers, and to build a society that is more aware of and upholds inclusivity, as inclusion is not only a moral responsibility but also a legal obligation to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities.
Timer: Aulianisa Azza Cameliapart-timer student in the Doctoral Program in Law)
