Education is a right for every person, regardless of their physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychosocial condition. This principle stands as one of the global commitments embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education, which emphasizes the importance of inclusive, equitable, and quality access to education for all.

This same spirit underlies one of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's core values: inclusivity. For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, inclusivity is not merely a slogan but is realized through an educational system that ensures every prospective student has an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve the best possible future.

This commitment was once again put into practice through the Disability Portfolio Selection Pathway, held in person on Thursday (7/16/2026) at the Old Rectorate Building of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. The entire selection process received full support from the Disability Services Center (PLD) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), from the pre-selection stage through the interview stage.

The Coordinator of the Disability Services Center at LPPM UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Asep Jahidin, emphasized that inclusive education means not only opening the door to applicants with disabilities, but also ensuring that the entire educational process is fairly accessible according to each individual's needs.

“Inclusivity means ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their best abilities. That is why what we adjust is not the academic standard, but the way in which each prospective student can take part in the selection process on an equal footing, through the provision of appropriate accommodations suited to their needs. Education is a right for everyone, and universities have a responsibility to ensure that this right can be realized,” he said.

The support provided by PLD began even before the selection process, starting from the moment prospective students registered. Through online meetings, the PLD team opened channels for consultation and communication, while also mapping each participant's needs so that every stage of the selection process could run as smoothly as possible.

One PLD volunteer, Rahma, who is also a student in the Islamic History and Culture (SKI) study program, explained that during the written test, each participant received support suited to their particular disability. She said that visually impaired participants were assisted through having exam questions read aloud and through additional assessments using Braille and text-to-speech software, while Deaf participants and those with autism, intellectual disabilities, ADHD, mental disabilities, or physical disabilities each received forms of support and service adjustments tailored to their respective needs.

This year, the Disability Portfolio Pathway was followed by 19 prospective students, consisting of 4 visually impaired participants, 9 deaf participants, 2 participants with autism, 1 participant with a mental disability, 1 participant with an intellectual disability, 1 participant with ADHD, and 1 participant with a physical disability.

She added that participants also took part in interviews with a team of experts from PLD and LPPM, in which parents were also involved in order to assess the level of family support for the prospective student's continued studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

High hopes were also expressed by the selection participants. Salma shared that she had made several previous attempts to pursue higher education without success. She had also applied for jobs on a number of occasions, but the process always came to a halt at the interview stage. Rather than giving up, these experiences strengthened her determination to keep learning and building her competencies as a foundation for a better future.

“When I learned that UIN Sunan Kalijaga was opening a Disability Portfolio Pathway with such strong support through the Disability Services Center (PLD), I felt I had finally found the opportunity I had been looking for,” she said.

Salma applied to the Social Welfare Science study program because she saw it as a field that would allow her to gain a deeper understanding of disability-related issues. “As a person with a disability, I want to equip myself with professional knowledge and competence so that I can one day contribute to the empowerment of persons with disabilities. I also want to work, because that is the right of every citizen,” she said.

Salma also shared that she felt more confident thanks to the support provided by PLD throughout the entire selection process.

Full support was also given by Marhaini, Salma's mother, who expressed appreciation for the attention UIN Sunan Kalijaga has shown to prospective students with disabilities and their families.

“We are very grateful and feel truly supported. PLD accompanied us from the very beginning, so we understood every stage that needed to be completed. As parents, we feel reassured knowing that the university is genuinely prepared to welcome and support children with disabilities so they can grow and thrive,” she said.

At UIN Sunan Kalijaga, inclusivity does not end as a narrative; it is present in policy, services, support, and an academic ecosystem that ensures every individual has an equal opportunity to learn, achieve, and contribute to society. (humassk)