Behind every UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta commencement procession lies an important role that ensures all information reaches every graduate, including Deaf students. Working behind the scenes, sign language interpreters (JBI) translate everything communicated during the ceremony so it can be accessed by Deaf students. The presence of JBI at commencement is one expression of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's commitment to building an inclusive educational environment and ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to take part in the full range of academic life.

This service did not come about by chance. Behind it lies the work of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Disability Services Center (PLD), which actively builds a support system for students with disabilities, from academic mentoring and note-taking to providing access to sign language through trained volunteers.

One of the volunteers now serving as a JBI is Akris Annisaul Febrianti, a student in the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting (KPI) Study Program at the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication (FDK). Her path to becoming a JBI began with a simple wish: to be able to communicate with a Deaf friend in her own major.

“Actually, I registered as a general volunteer at the Disability Services Center. I was interested in joining because I had a friend in the same major who happened to be Deaf. I wanted to be able to talk with her,” Akris said.

That wish eventually led her to join the PLD. Because she stayed active in various activities, Akris was given the opportunity to learn sign language. Training for active volunteers is part of the PLD's effort to expand communication access for Deaf students.

According to Akris, that training is part of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's broader effort to expand access for students with disabilities. Active volunteers receive sign language training so that more people are able to provide communication support to Deaf students.

“Since UIN Sunan Kalijaga is an inclusive campus, to improve access, we as volunteers are also given sign language training so we can meet the access needs of our Deaf friends,” she explained.

Akris began learning sign language around 2022–2023. After going through the learning process and getting the chance to try interpreting during PLD activities, she has now served as a JBI for about a year.

To her, a JBI is more than just someone who translates spoken language into sign language. A JBI is part of the access that allows Deaf students to receive information and take part in campus life.

“In my view, a JBI is a form of access for our Deaf friends,” she said.

Even so, the PLD doesn't rely on JBIs alone to provide its services. Support for Deaf students also comes through note-takers, particularly during classes. Volunteers help take notes and relay information throughout the learning process in the classroom.

At the start of each semester, Deaf students share their class schedules with the PLD's PIC (person-in-charge) team. That schedule is then coordinated with volunteers based on each person's availability. This system allows mentoring services to run flexibly while also broadening volunteer involvement in supporting students with disabilities.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, this approach shows that inclusivity is not just about providing facilities, it's also about building a mentoring system and human resources capable of responding to the needs of students with disabilities.

The role of the JBI becomes even more visible during ceremonial events such as commencement. During the procession, a JBI doesn't just translate remarks or announcements, they also make sure Deaf students understand the entire flow of the event.

Preparation begins as early as the briefing and dress rehearsal. At that stage, the JBI works together with Deaf students to make sure the entire procession can be understood, since a JBI's position is behind the scenes and doesn't allow them to suddenly approach a graduate once the ceremony is underway.

“During the dress rehearsal, we make sure our Deaf friends understand what the commencement procession looks like. We work as JBIs behind the scenes because we cannot suddenly walk up to a Deaf friend in the middle of the ceremony,” Akris explained.

As interpreters, JBIs also need to prepare on the technical side. One example is wearing black clothing with minimal accessories, so hand movements remain clearly visible and aren't distracted by patterns or jewelry.

Beyond that, a JBI needs to understand the flow of the ceremony, including the songs used during the event, Indonesia Raya, the university hymn, as well as the parts that use hijaiyah (Arabic letter) sign gestures, to make interpreting easier.

Another challenge is the pace at which information is delivered. Fast speech can make the interpreting process more difficult. Not every term has a direct sign-language equivalent either, so a JBI often needs to convey the underlying concept, so the message still gets across to Deaf students.

For Akris, successful mentoring is not measured solely by her ability to interpret. A more important measure is whether the student she's supporting genuinely understands the information being conveyed.

She often asks for feedback after supporting a student, for instance by asking them to recap what was just covered.

“The most memorable part of being a JBI is when the friends I support are happy and are able to understand what's being conveyed, whether at an event or in class,” she said.

That experience has also changed the way she sees students with disabilities. According to her, the issue was never about their ability; it's about whether they have the access and support that allows them to grow.

“It turns out that when they're given access, support, and someone alongside them, they're capable too. Maybe all they've ever needed is that access,” she said.

For that reason, she believes the presence of JBIs and the PLD is an important part of the campus's inclusive ecosystem. Even so, she said, these services need to keep being built around the actual needs of students with disabilities themselves.

“If we want to give our best, we at PLD always ask what they actually need. When they need something, we try to make it happen,” Akris said.

As a volunteer, she hopes the services already available at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta won't stop where they are now but will keep being developed so access for students with disabilities keeps improving.

“My hope is that what exists now doesn't shrink but keeps growing going forward. So that all of us here can be more equal,” she said in closing. (humassk)