Accessibility to Facilities for Persons with Disabilities at Public Institutes of Higher Learning

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.