10.6.9 : Disability access scheme
Projek Braille UTM-DBP karya SN Datuk Siti Zainon perkukuh akses ilmu kepada golongan istimewa
UTM ensures robust Disability Support Services by implementing a systematic, multi-faceted program focused on enhancing the accessibility of knowledge, culture, and social inclusion for people with visual impairments and other special needs (Golongan Istimewa/Kurang Upaya).
Accessibility of Knowledge and Culture
UTM, through the UTM Library Department and a strategic partnership with the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), actively eliminates barriers to information and culture for individuals with visual impairments via the "Baca Celik Hati: Projek Buku Braille dan Audio" (Read with Enlightened Heart: Braille and Audio Book Project).
- Dedicated Braille and Audio Production: This long-running initiative (since 1998) has produced more than 500 Braille books (lebih daripada 500 naskhah buku braille). This demonstrates an enduring, scaled commitment to intellectual accessibility.
- Literary Access for Special Needs: In a recent collaboration, the project transcribed five works by National Laureate Datuk Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail into Braille and audio book formats. This action ensures that culturally significant and esteemed literature is accessible to the visually impaired community, emphasizing UTM's role in promoting the "ekosistem keilmuan" (knowledge ecosystem) for those with special needs.
- Technological Support: The University actively supports this service by providing the necessary tools, confirmed by the donation of a Braille printing machine and Duxbury software to the Library.
Comprehensive and Integrated Support
The University's dedication extends beyond the Library into its core operations and facilities:
- Faculty-Level Facilities: The Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), under its welfare goals, explicitly prioritizes the provision of "Keperluan & Kemudahan" (Needs & Facilities) and "Laluan Orang Kelainan Upaya (OKU)" (OKU Pathways), ensuring that physical accessibility is maintained at the operational unit level.
- Centralized Governance: The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) Office oversees OKU facilities, confirming that accessibility is a strategic and centralized infrastructural commitment.
- Welfare Initiatives: The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Office manages "Inisiatif Bagi Golongan Kurang Upaya" (Initiatives for People with Disabilities), offering essential welfare programs and services to support students in their academic and campus life.
This collective effort—spanning intellectual access via Braille, dedicated welfare programs, and systematic facility management—establishes a comprehensive and institutionalized framework for Disability Support Services at UTM.
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Disability And Accessibility
UTM has institutionalized a comprehensive Disability Access Scheme through its Disability Support Unit (DSU), ensuring targeted academic, physical, and financial support is readily available for all registered students with disabilities (OKU). This proactive approach provides targeted assistance to facilitate seamless integration into campus life.
Targeted Support Services (Access Scheme)
The Disability Support Unit (DSU), established under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs) Department (JTNCHEP) in November 2019, is the central point for implementing access schemes. The DSU provides a personalized, multi-pronged approach:
- Academic Support and Information Dissemination: The DSU provides "Personalized assistance for campus-related matters" and ensures "Information dissemination tailored to students with disabilities." This targeted scheme ensures OKU students receive relevant, specific details about their courses, examinations, and university processes, overcoming common communication barriers.
- Targeted Financial Assistance: UTM facilitates access to the Bantuan Kewangan Orang Kurang Upaya (BKOKU), a financial aid program. This scheme provides support based on the student's level of study and individual needs, directly addressing the financial barriers that can impede the education of students with disabilities.
- Inspirational Mentoring and Inclusion: UTM appointed a successful alumnus, Dr. Ruzimi Mohamed, as the OKU Icon in 2020. This initiative acts as a targeted mentoring scheme, aiming to "Inspire and motivate students with disabilities" and "Showcase success stories within the disabled community," fostering a sense of belonging and promoting high achievement. The DSU also organizes Online engagement sessions and Meet-and-greet sessions with the OKU Icon to further this mentorship.
Accessible Infrastructure and Mobility
The access scheme also integrates physical infrastructure support:
- Accessible Accommodation: The university provides 10 OKU-friendly rooms at College 9 (female college), equipped with accessible toilets and wheelchair-friendly pathways.
- Mobility Assistance: UTM offers wheelchair-accessible transportation services, particularly for students with physical disabilities, and provides manual wheelchair and walking cane loans through the University Health Center (PKU) for students with temporary disabilities.
By centralizing support in the DSU and combining financial, academic, and physical resources, UTM provides a robust and personalized Disability Access Scheme that meets the specific, individual needs of its OKU community.
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https://www.utm.my/disability/
UTM sasar perkasa fasiliti ramah OKU melalui lawatan penanda aras ke UMPSA
UTM is proactively strengthening its Disability Access Scheme through a dedicated strategy of benchmarking and continuous improvement of its physical and program infrastructure, demonstrating an institutional commitment to becoming a fully inclusive and OKU-friendly campus.
Proactive Development of the Disability Access Scheme
The initiative, led by the Asset Management Division (BPA) under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) Department, underscores UTM's commitment to prioritizing the needs of people with disabilities (OKU) by allocating budget under the enVision 2025 plan for Universal Design and OKU-friendly facilities.
- Benchmarking for Best Practices: The key action is a benchmarking visit (lawatan penanda aras) to the Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) to study their implemented improvements. The goal is explicitly to "perkasa fasiliti ramah OKU" (strengthen OKU-friendly facilities). This proactive measure ensures that UTM's access scheme is informed by the nation's best practices.
- Comprehensive Facility Review: The UTM delegation reviewed a wide range of accessible facilities at UMPSA, including P&P (Teaching and Learning) spaces, hostel facilities (asrama), OKU parking and pathways (laluan), and special residential units (rumah berkeluarga OKU) for students requiring a caretaker. This holistic review targets all physical touchpoints of the student experience.
- Integration of Targeted Support: The visit specifically highlighted UMPSA's Community Rehabilitation Programme (PPDK) and the OKU-Friendly Ecosystem Policy (DAMAi). By studying these programs, UTM is looking beyond just physical facilities to integrate and strengthen comprehensive targeted support (access schemes) for its students, staff, and the local community.
- Goal of Full Inclusion: The lawatan's objective is to provide better OKU-friendly facilities to support the 57 OKU students currently studying at UTM, with the aim of creating an inclusive environment that enables OKU to "berkembang dan berpartisipasi sepenuhnya dalam masyarakat" (develop and participate fully in society).
By dedicating resources to continuous improvement and incorporating the success models of other institutions, UTM is actively executing a strategic Disability Access Scheme to enhance its infrastructure and comprehensive support for its OKU community.
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