A beacon of hope
THERE are many people in the world who have had to give up on their education because of situations beyond their control such as financial trouble, family problems, disease and disability.
People with disabilities can face many obstacles when they pursue higher education. The fact remains that everyone has the right to education, but facilities and accessibility at universities and other public places across the world are less inclusive than they should be.
Types of disabilities and their examples are listed below.
Physical disability such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and acquired brain injury
Sensory disability such as visual, hearing and speech impairment and autism spectrum disorder
Intellectual disability such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome
Mental illness such as bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety
Obstacles in education
For starters, studying in a brick-andmortar institution requires travelling to and from the university, which can be a challenge for students with disabilities since public transportation is not always disabilityfriendly and personal vehicle modifications to accommodate disability can be costly.
People with physical disabilities may find navigating stairs, parking spaces and narrow corridors difficult, especially if they are using walking aids or wheelchairs. In Malaysia, ramps and elevators are usually used for cargo and not for people with walking difficulties.
In universities, physical accessibility is usually a little better. This inclusiveness has spilled over into Government initiatives to make infrastructure in public places more available for people with physical disabilities.
On a less tangible note, courses offered by higher education institutions do not typically consider intellectual or sensory disabilities in their methods of delivery, material, deadlines and examination-centredness.
Mental illness is somewhat stigmatised, especially in Asia. People suffering from mental illnesses are told to deal with them alone or ignore that they have an actual disease.
Diagnoses are long, drawn-out processes and can be quite costly with most insurance companies opting out of covering mental illness treatment expenses.
From a distance
With advancements in technology, online education is evolving into a model called massive open online course (MOOC). To make learning accessible to all, leading universities of the world are uploading some of their most popular courses online, for free.
The concept of correspondence education is not new. Before the advent of the Internet, universities and institutes offered courses via post.
A drawback to correspondence learning was that students were unable to consult lecturers for clarification and explanations. The sometimes-unreliable nature of postal services was another factor that contributed to its early demise.
However, correspondence learning was later resurrected with the advent of online learning.
It is now one of the better ways to pursue higher education from home or for working professionals who cannot afford to take time off their careers.
While correspondence learning could present a temporary solution for people with disabilities, especially ones with limited mobility, most courses are still in traditional black-and-white format, which is not particularly helpful for people with sensory or visual impairment.
An ideal scenario would be for course material to be presented as audio clips for all students or have notes in Braille posted to visually impaired students.
At the very least, online courses should be equipped with conversion software for easy translation into Braille (for students to print out) or audio clips.
The solution
Regardless of a person’s ability or disability, education and a culture of lifelong learning is a human right. Online distance learning is one way to make sure everyone gets the education they deserve.
Similar to people studying in brick-andmortar institutions, people with disabilities who are confined to their homes can benefit from online distance learning where they can study at their own pace and in their own time, with access to professors and peers.
Online education also offers an alternative to dealing directly with other people, which is ideal for people who have social anxiety or are self-conscious about their disabilities.
Education for all
With advancements in technology, online education is evolving into a model called massive open online course (MOOC). To make learning accessible to all, leading universities of the world are uploading some of their most popular courses online, for free.
These courses are developed not only by universities and academic experts but also by individuals, so people with disabilities can find and enrol in courses designed by other people with disabilities.
Another way MOOC is proving to be helpful is by spreading awareness about people with disabilities through offering courses such as Disability Awareness and Support (University of Pittsburgh), Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion (University of Cape Town), and Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition (Perkins School for the Blind).
Malaysia has also jumped on the MOOC bandwagon with top Malaysian universities offering free courses through OpenLearning – the national MOOC platform endorsed by the Higher Education Ministry in 2015.
Possibilities in accessible learning are seemingly endless with MOOCs. However, there is a catch. If you want to receive formal recognition upon completing an MOOC, you may be disappointed since MOOC subjects do not count as university credits.
This is where traditional online education trumps MOOC if you want to pursue higher education for career progression. At this point in time, many employers will not accept MOOC as an achievement in your résumé as a degree is still the only accepted proof of education.
Fortunately, as jobs become more diverse, Malaysians can expect a growing acceptance of MOOCs.
“One of our learning designers was hired based on all the MOOC courses he completed. He did not have access to higher education because he could not take time off from his job, but he is now our senior learning designer,” says Marsyitah Ismail, head of learning services at OpenLearning.
In her opinion, a person who has completed an online course while working is more
A combination of MOOC and online learning can make you a force to be reckoned with and let people with disabilities realise their full potential in contributing to society.
employable since he has both academic and practical knowhow.
She adds, “In Australia, if someone has completed his postgraduate study, it is assumed that he did it online because not many people can take a few years off to pursue education.”
It is hoped that more Malaysian employers will soon start accepting online course completion as formal qualifications, especially when courses offered under the MOOC umbrella are by some of the top universities in the world.
In the meantime, students have to pay to sit for final assessments offered by universities if they want recognition in completing an MOOC.
Flexibility of choice
People with disabilities can treat MOOCs as taster programmes before really committing to anything.
Since all courses have different levels of difficulty and detail, you can try one out first to see if you are comfortable with the pace and the method.
A combination of MOOC and online learning can make you a force to be reckoned with and let people with disabilities realise their full potential in contributing to society.