Assessing Inclusivity: Evaluating School Facilities For Students With Disabilities In Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract

The issue of Person with Disabilities Students (PWDs) and facilities are closely intertwined, with the Malaysian government implementing various innovative approaches to address unsatisfactory enrollment. The objectives of this study are to evaluate how well educational facilities in Besut, Terengganu meet the needs of PWDs. It aims to analyze the relationship between facility quality and PWD enrollment statistics while identifying other facility related issues. Additionally, the study assesses the alignment of universal design principles (UDP) with existing facilities to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness. Quantitative methods were employed in this study and involved 281 PWDs aged 10 to 18 years have an active OKU card registered with the Department of Social Welfare (JKM). The results show that majority of respondents (83.3%) are satisfied with the facilities for PWDs, and they believe that the facilities and resources have a positive impact on learning. However, there is a minority who are dissatisfied and need to be improved (16.7%). In conclusion, the government's innovative approach to addressing PWDs facility issues has shown positive impacts. Despite this, some facilities are still deemed inadequate by respondents. Therefore, further research is necessary to explore input from other stakeholders, such as teachers and management, to analyze problems in greater detail and uncover novel solutions.