TU Strives To Be User-Friendly For Disabled Students

The lifts are one of the troublesome aspects of Chua’s daily life on campus.

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The Taylor's Education Group has strived to build user-friendly campuses for all occupants, especially their students. One of the best example is the Taylor’s University which provides all disabled students with the necessary facilities and services required to ease their students’ lives while on campus. But is this true?

Let these students with physical disabilities answer that question themselves through their thoughts and opinions of a being part of TU community.

• Wheelchair users access to campus facilities

“They have basic facilities for wheelchair users but wheelchair users can't go freely to anywhere on campus. For example, at LT19, there are no space to fit wheelchairs.

“Some lecture rooms were not accessible by wheelchair, so when the lecturer change venues, I wouldn’t be able to join the class.

“However, the facilities are mostly user-friendly,” said School of Computing And IT student, Christina Kang Xiao Xi, 25.

• OKU Parking

School Of Pharmacy student, Sharence Chua Chi Yuen, 20, who drives to campus everyday, said she was provided with her own OKU parking slot located at Block B for her own parking convenience.

• Counselling and Psychological Services (CPSC)

Disabled students were also provided with a consultant from Taylor’s CPSC, who assisted to arrange a suitable classroom for them.

“They arranged all my classes to be located at Lt 11 and in that class, there would be an adjustable table for me to write on,” said Chua.

For School Of Bioscience, Amelia Tan Cheng Wei, she was grateful to the consultants from CPSC for helping to ensure that she had suitable tables in lecture theatres and all exam venues were accessible to her.

Besides classes and venues arrangement, CPSC also helped to counsel the students in case they were having any problems or challenges as well as raising funds for disabled students’ needs.

“Previously, I didn’t have a suitable wheelchair but they helped me to find someone who could help me to raise funds for a new wheelchair.

“We managed to raised the required funds and I’m excited for my new wheelchair which will be coming soon,” said Kang.

• Access to laboratory facilities

As a pharmacy student, Chua required access to the campus labs and the its facilties such as the lab tables.

“Recently, they lowered down one of the lab table for to suit my height.

“So, another of my disabled friend and I were able us to work together compared to previously where the table were placed far away from all my classmates,” said Chua.

Tan, who also used the laboratories, added that the lab assistants were also willing to help her with her practical work if she required their assistance.

Despite all the facilities and services provided, there were certain aspects of the campus facilities which could still be improved.

• Awareness for toilets for disabled students

Although toilets for disabled students have been provided on campus, these toilets were sometimes occupied by normal students. For Kang, who often encounter this, she had no choice but to wait outside the toilet whenever this happen.

• No elevators priorities

Similar with other disabled students, Chua said the campus lift has always been a hassle for her.

“The lifts can only go to certain floor and it takes very long.

“It is very difficult for me whenever I wished to go to my classes or the library .

“While most people can just take the stairs, my only option is the lift and the lifts are often full,” she said.

• Abusing OKU Parking

Tan was disappointed with the non-disabled people who abused the OKU parking lots by parking there because it caused her so much difficulties every time she went to campus later in the morning.

“I can't use a regular parking lot as it is too narrow for me to place my wheelchair next to my car, therefore I needed a much wider disabled parking lot.

“The guards understood my needs, so they would allow me to take up two regular lots if the disabled ones are taken.

“The problem arises when there are no two empty adjacent lots, so the guards often had to call in the police to help me search for a wider parking where I can parked my car,” she said.

Tan added that besides inconveniencing her, the whole situation which often lasted about 20 minutes, caused her to be late for her classes. She also hoped that there will be stricter parking enforcement in regards to OKU parking lots in the future.

Although TU took into considerations of the disabled students went they built the campuses, Vice-President of TU Facilities, EHS, Security and Sustainability, R. Murali Rajoo, assured that he was open to any requests and suggestions that could help to improve disabled students lives on campus.

“If these group of disabled students channeled their requests to us, it would make things more easier and we will be sure to address them,” he said.

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