Could you introduce yourself and share your field of role at the university?

Hi everyone, my name is Wuri Handayani. I’m currently a lecturer at Accounting Department Faculty of Economics & Business Gadjah Mada University since 2018. Since 2024 I became the chairman of Disability Service Unit Gadjah Mada University.

Could you describe your limitations?

I am a wheelchair user since 1993 due to mountaineering accident when I was a second year undergraduate student. Since then, as a wheelchair user I have a limitation in term of mobility. Because in Indonesia, it’s very difficult being a disabled. There’s no place with accessibility at all.

What inspired you to pursue an academic career path?

So, I was inspired to be a lecturer due to my old experience when I was a student in higher education institution. My colleagues often did not pass the subjects and they asked me to help and to guide on how to solve the problem. And then, I was thinking that working in an academic field seems like we are required to improve our knowledge more and we still have to update our recent knowledge. So, I think because of my ideal dream. I wanted to be a lecturer since I was an undergraduate student

Can you describe your experience working at the university as a person with a disability?

My first career as a lecturer, I think I started in Malaysia In Universiti Malaysia Perlis in 2015. So in term of delivering the materials there’s no such difference between my time when I was in the UK & Malaysia. However, still the main barrier is about the infrastructure. Because the building’s not fully accessible so I have to ask help from someone else to get in to the class. The main problem, is that the whiteboard is quite high up so I couldn’t reach when I need to write on the whiteboard So I found an application that can mirror the information from my iPad to my Laptop. So this experience, I brought it when I joined Gadjah Mada University. But still, they have some of the limitations. For example, when I have to move from one building to another. Because the way on how to reach the building is not fully accessible so I still need someone’s help to get from one building to another.

Can you share a positive moment when you felt genuinely supported or included?

When I joined Gadjah Mada University in 2018 I was accepted & felt genuinely supported because during the examination (recruitment) I didn’t mention that I am disabled. But in term of the process of the recruitment interview & so on I was facilitated. And when I was accepted in to The University as a Lecturer. My colleagues at the time asked me what are the supports that I need to become more familiar with the environment. And I said, to me is quite enough. However at the time in the Faculty There was no toilets for disabled So I asked them a toilet for the disabled. And now currently as I’m mentioning this, disabled toilets is provided on every level of the faculty buildings.

Could you share your biggest achievement and why?

Well, in term of academics, my biggest achievement I have to say, is that I am a Ph.D Holder. So being a Ph.D holder had broaden my capacity and bargaining power. I believe the statement from Nelson Mandela that mentioned “Education is the biggest weapon to change the world”. I can compare when I held an Undergraduate & Master diploma when I advocate, my voice is not really considered. But when I hold a Ph.D it’s totally different because society & community considers me as the holder of highest level of education. And then, in term of disability I have an achievement that’s the establishment of Disability Service Unit of Gadjah Mada University is considered my big achievement.

What personal strengths or strategies help you navigate challenges in university life?

So I want to demonstrate that disabled people, they can excel everywhere as long as they are given the opportunity. As I mentioned, this privilege and my wanting to change the society’s stigma then I have the commitment to be a role model for disabled people in Indonesia that being disabled is not the end of the world. Being disabled can be excel as long as we improve ourselves, we enhance our knowledge and competence. And we can show, present and demonstrate to the society. That their stigma, opinions, about disability is not always true. So this is the thing that I believe became my strength. That I have a privilege, I have to do something, I have to advocate people in Indonesia to give the opportunity for disabled people in Indonesia. For a better Indonesia in the future.

Who or what has played the biggest role in supporting your journey?

Of course, my biggest support system is my husband. He always supports me. He always encourages me. He always reminds me about my role as a disabled and also as a lecturer that I have to give positive impact to the society. And I also learned a lot from students with disability in Indonesia, and also from the community of disabled people in Indonesia how difficult and their problems. And of course, I also thank the support from Gadjah Mada University for providing the support. It’s not individually, rather from all the disabled people in Gadjah Mada University

What changes would make universities more accessible and inclusive for disabled  individuals?

The main barrier faced by disabled people everywhere is about attitude of the people around them. So it’s not the infrastructure, It’s not the ramp, guiding blocks, and so on. But, the attitude. So one thing that we need to change if we’re going to be an inclusive campus is how we can enhance, how we can improve the culture of inclusivity. It should be started by first, changing our mindset that disabled people is not a sick people, they’re not the people who should be given an aid and then enough. But disabled people is a human the same as non-disabled human. They have rights, the same as non-disabled people. So we have to understand that if non-disabled people have full rights in term of economy life, and so on. It is the same for the disabled people. So the government, institution, should respect and protect and fulfill the human rights of disabled people In a faculty or higher education institution. The thing that needs to be improved is How this culture of inclusivity can be implemented from the top level management, to middle level management and even on low level management all the people in the faculty. It’s not only for students but also to the supporting academic staff and also lecturers.

What advice would you give to other disabled staff pursuing an academic career?

My suggestion is first, you have to pursue higher level education and then you have to broaden your knowledge you have to enhance your competence and we have to also broaden our network and for those who are already in the academic career we have to have more effort to gain high level of academic career. I believe that if we have a constrain then we have to put more effort to get the ambition to reach the higher level of our life and higher level of academic career.