Accessibility to Facilities for Persons with Disabilities at Public Institutes of Higher Learning
Aizan Sofia Amin1, Siti Zuliana Md Zuki2, Noremy Md Akhir3
1Aizan Sofia Amin, Research Centre for Psychology and Human Wellbeing, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.
2Siti Zuliana Md Zuki, Research Centre for Psychology and Human Wellbeing, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.
3Noremy Md Akhir, Research Centre for Psychology and Human Wellbeing, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.
Manuscript received on 17 September 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 04 October 2019 | Manuscript Published on 11 October 2019 | PP: 21-37 | Volume-8 Issue-2S10 September 2019 | Retrieval Number: B10040982S1019/2019©BEIESP | DOI: 10.35940/ijrte.B1004.0982S1019
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Issues related to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) rights are increasingly being considered in Malaysia. This includes their rights in education, employment, healthcare as well as access to the facilities and services provided. Accessibility in education especially at universities are among the major issues faced by PWD. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the accessibility of facilities for persons with disabilities in public institutes of higher education. This study focuses on structured observations of PWD facilities at four faculties and four resource centres in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Five basic facilities for PWD such as parking space, stairs, lifts, toilets and pathways/ramps were thoroughly observed. A detailed comparison was carried out to identify the accessibility of those facilities and the extent of compliance to specifications outlined in universal design criteria. The study findings show that although PWD facilities were available, those facilities were still inadequate and did not follow the specifications set. Facility providers namely the university should devise a specific action plan and establish an inclusive policy for PWD to ensure their rights and needs are entirely fulfilled.
Keywords: Accessibility, Facilities, Persons With Disabilities, Universal Design.
Scope of the Article: Social Sciences