OT lecturers share their knowledge of disability services with Indonesian university
Occupational therapy lecturers in Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) are helping the Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) in Indonesia to develop disability services in Indonesian higher education.
Senior Lecturer Dr Katie Thomson, and lecturers Dr Emma Green and Lisa Forrest in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Human Nutrition and Dietetics, were awarded funding by the British Council to collaborate with Unpad to help staff develop their own disability service by drawing on learning and services offered at Glasgow Caledonian.
Unpad’s staff visited Glasgow Caledonian for a week of workshops and seminars delivered by the University’s Disability and Student Support Services, Library staff, SHLS module leaders and the Learning Development Centre in March.
This was followed by a visit to Unpad’s campus by SHLS Occupational Therapy staff which provided an opportunity to work closely with Unpad’s Student Support Team, meet Programme Leads from across the University and chat with disabled students studying on a range of programmes.
The EmpowerID collaborative project between Unpad in West Java and Glasgow Caledonian focuses on fostering cross-cultural understanding and improving disability-inclusive education.
The one-year project runs until December 2024 and with additional funding provided by the Indonesian Government, it aims to elevate Unpad's capabilities through capacity building and mentorship from Glasgow Caledonian to make even greater strides in creating an inclusive environment for disabled students.
The project aims to develop strategies and curriculum adjustments for Unpad’s disabled students, raise disability inclusive awareness for Unpad staff through workshops and seminars, facilitate knowledge exchange between both universities, empower disabled students through effective utilisation of support services and foster cross-cultural collaboration in disability-inclusive education.
In June, an online workshop is planned for Unpad’s Student Support Team, run by Glasgow Caledonian’s Disability Team, which will be followed by opportunities for students at the Glasgow campus to engage with Unpad students to share their advice for setting up a new student support service.
Dr Thomson explained the reasons behind their involvement in the project: “The main aim of occupational therapy is enabling those we work with to do the things that they need or want to do (RCOT, 2024), which includes studying at university.”
Dr Green added: “The occupational therapy staff involved have an interest and expertise in disability and inclusive education and recognise the importance of raising cultural awareness and cultural competence. It is hoped that this project will provide opportunities for Glasgow Caledonian University staff and students to explore the role of occupational therapy for disabled students and support inclusive education for all. “
Photo 1 (left to right) shows Lisa Forrest with Unpad Associate Professor Dr Erli Sarilita and Dr Katie Thomson standing at the entrance of Universitas Padjadjaran. Each of the coloured flags represent different schools within the University.
Photo 2 (left to right) shows Unpad Director of Student and Alumni Affairs/Associate Professor Dr Eng. Boy Yoseph Cahya Sunan Sakti Syah Alam, Head of Unpad’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre Dr Anne Nurbaity, Lisa Forrest, Dr Katie Thomson and Dr Mohamad Fahmi, Director of Education and Internationalization/Associate Professor standing at the entrance to Universitas Padjadjaran as part of the celebration for Kartini day.