Mataram, University of Mataram – University of Mataram (Unram) shows its commitment in creating an inclusive and equal higher education environment through cooperation with the Indonesian Sign Language Center (Pusbisindo) NTB. The signing of the MoU and Cooperation Agreement was held in the Rector’s Conference Room on Thursday, May 8, 2025, and was attended by leaders from several faculties at Unram.

Vice Rector I of Unram, Prof. Dr. Sitti Hilyana, in her speech revealed that Unram will open the widest opportunities for prospective students with special needs to access higher education.

“In the last 2 years, Unram has been trying to provide opportunities for friends with special needs to access education, especially in several study programs that are suitable for the interests of people with special needs,” she explained.

The Vice Rector of Unram also conveyed various concrete steps to open wider access to education for people with disabilities, ranging from providing special pathways for new admissions for students with special needs to sign language training for lecturers and education staff.

“We are also working to prepare infrastructure in order to further facilitate the service of people with special needs. In addition, we will also send lecturers and education staff to learn sign language so that they can provide services to people with special needs later,” she continued.

Unram is working to design the construction of a disability service center, complete with discussion rooms, night learning facilities, and learning resources that suit the needs of students with special needs. In terms of teaching staff preparation, Unram will begin sign language training for lecturers and teaching staff starting in May 2025.

“We hope that each faculty will send lecturers and technical staff to attend the four-level sign language training so that the learning process in the classroom can run smoothly,” she said.

In response, Pusbisindo NTB Coordinator, Achmad Fikri Hidayat, S.Ds., and his team expressed their gratitude for the openness of the cooperation made by Unram which will also bring new hope for prospective students with special needs in the future.

“We hope that we can create a successful cooperation in the future and can provide access to friends with special needs to become students at the University of Mataram,” she said.

The steps taken by Unram emphasize its position as a university that is not only oriented towards academic excellence, but also aligns with inclusiveness, justice and equality in the world of education.