In early August, the Disability Services Subdirectorate of Universitas Brawijaya opened registration for new volunteers. Volunteers who serve as peer-support for students with disabilities were trained in disability awareness, Sunday (8/9/2024), then in the Corridor Room of Universitas Brawijaya Rectorate.
More than 150 students participated in the training as their initial provision to accompany students with disabilities in participating in academic activities. With this role, they need to know the basics of assisting students with disabilities as their friends. SLD UB, which is a disability service unit, is tasked with providing the training and managing the continuity of services at the university level.
Participants gathered since morning to attend the presentation consisting of an explanation of the rights and obligations of volunteers, the limitations that need to be known, and an explanation of the disability paradigm. With this explanation, prospective volunteers are expected to be able to understand the ins and outs of disability issues and the perspectives that must be used in thinking about the disability conditions of an individual or group.
Division and practice at the post
Hundreds of participants were divided into four groups or posts to enable the training to be more effective. The posts consist of a blind post, a mental post, a deaf post, and a physical post. At each of these posts, participants can learn practically how mentoring can be done.
“The goal is indeed to be able to feel what peer support is like,” said Yesika Suryani, a student at UB Faculty of Administrative Sciences who is a physically disabled person who uses a wheelchair.
“Hopefully it will also be useful as provisions for future volunteer friends,” continued Yesika firmly. Yesika, together with Duwi Purnama Sidik, guided the physical post to train participants on how to accompany students in wheelchairs.
At the mental post, guided by Bryan Abdi Romadhona, a mentally disabled student of the Faculty of Law, and accompanied by several senior volunteers, training participants played role plays that described certain mental disability conditions.
The deaf and blind post was also guided directly by friends with disabilities. At the deaf post, Fasya Hariyuda and Sultan taught the basics of sign language and deaf awareness to the training participants.
“It was really fun. Always excited when meeting new friends,” said Sultan, a UB Faculty of Law student who is also active in various organizations such as Akar Tuli.
Hirza Barizi and Ivassalsabila guided the blind post which was also divided into two groups. Accompanied by senior volunteers, they provided an overview and direct practice of mentoring blind students.
The direct involvement of disabled students in the training is very important to provide insight to non-disabled people in disability awareness training.
At the end of the training activity, senior volunteers also filled a session sharing experiences related to their involvement in mentoring disabled students. Present at the session were Fikri Aziz and Muhammad Magistra Putra.
Fikri is a sign language interpreter who actively advocates for deaf issues. Meanwhile, Agis, nicknamed Magistra Putra, is a final year student at FH UB who has now been accepted to continue studying at Lund University, Sweden. They shared many things related to their experiences and the challenges they faced, as well as overcoming them, in mentoring. [mahali/sitirahma/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
