1. Higher Education For Blind People In Indonesia Opportunities & Challenges By Aria Indrawati President Of Pertuni (Indonesian Blind Union).

2. Lac Of Support
For more than 35 years in Indonesia, there had been a small group of blind people who succeeded to continue and finish studying in universities;
But these group were not supported by university service system;
They had to cope challenges on their own without any support;

3. Access to references were the most challenging challenge; - no references were available in accessible format;
Blind students were depended on volunteers; - they were not independent;
University life was very stressful;
Blind students could not finish their study on time; - even some were dropped out;
On the other hand, for the ones who came from low income families, financial support was another challenging challenge.

4. Universities did not have the responsibility to provide support – they thought that this matters were individual issues;
Discrimination toward blind students even had been started from the selection process to enter universities; - blind students were not allowed to take subjects which they might have potential to learn, such psychology, foreign languages, education (teacher training), etc.

5. Impact Of Those Situation
The amount of blind people who graduated from university was very fiew;
The quality of blind people as human resources were very low;
They could not get access to technology;
Effort to increase blind people quality of life was very slow.

6. Effort To Cope With Challenges
Pertuni – ICEVI higher Education Campaign Project:
Establish model of disability service center in several selected state universities with the objective to raise awareness of the selected universities that they should provide special services for blind students who are studying within their universities;
Prepared highschool blind students with university preparation trainings in six cities - as model;
Created campaign tool to promote inclusive university;

7. Conducted seminar to promote inclusive higher education in 8 cities;
Implemented mentoring scheme among universities to encourage them learn each other how to develop their campus to become inclusive universities;
Developed communication with ministry of education of the Republic of Indonesia to let them ministry, aspecially the DG of Higher Education aware that there had been inisiative from Pertuni to pioneer the development of inclusive universities;

8. Encouraged the Ministry of Education to issue policy with the mandate that each university should be developed as inclusive university; - This effort had reached the goal, by having Minister of Education decree on inclusive higher education;
The ministry provided initial fund for universities that develop themselves as inclusive universities;
The next challenge after having the decree is to encourage the Ministry to implement and to keep promoting the idea of developing inclusive university in Indonesia.

9. Impact Of The Campaign
Incresed the amount of blind students who continue and finish studying to higher education; - around 30 % of the amount before the campaign was conducted;
Gradually Increase the number of inclusive universities;
Increased the quality of blind people as human resources;
Increased the amount of blind people who could get access to computer technology – ICT;

10. Blind students tend to take more varied of subjects/major as their major and prospective career;
Increased the number of blind people who have the potency to work inclusively in the society.

11. Next Challenge?
The next challenge that should be cope is “employment issues”
In terms of employment, Pertuni observes that many blind people – as sighted people as well – are lack of “quality soft skills” which play significant role for their future success in employment and career;
On the other hand, employer do not know yet what kind of jobs that blind people could do – they are lack of information and knowledge how to deal and employ blind people.

12. How To Cope With These Challenge?
Current activities:
Conducting model of pre employment soft skill trainings for university blind students who are in final stage of their study, who are preparing themselves to work – find job -, both in formal and informal sectors;
Created a campaign tool, informing examples of job which could be done by university graduate blind people;
Utilizeing the campaign tool as intensive as possible in every and any occation.