In a joint statement by 21 activists, including child-disability activist Dr Amar-Singh HSS and former senator Ras Adiba Radzi, the group asked if any of the experts engaged were people with disabilities.
“Do they comprise 16% of the group, in line with the population ratio of persons with disabilities?” they said.
They also asked if the ministry intended to engage groups with diverse disabilities and the related civil societies, whose contributions they said would be critical to drafting an inclusive blueprint.
They said the previous blueprint, the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education), was so far “a total failure for persons with disabilities”.
They said the 240-page document only mentioned persons with disabilities twice, in the context of “providing equitable access to educational opportunities” and offering “wider access” and “improved infrastructure” for lifelong learning.
There was no mention of “inclusion”, “reasonable accommodation” or the creation of a barrier-free environment despite consultation with 10,500 people, including foreign experts, over two years, they said.
“It is as though 16% of the Malaysian population, those with disabilities, are non-existent to our higher education ministry.”
They also expressed hope that the ministry would understand the difference between “inclusive education” and “mainstreaming” for adults with disabilities.
“It is obvious that the education ministry does not appreciate this, when it comes to inclusive education for children with disabilities,” they said.
The group said international data and research showed that the promotion of inclusion encouraged educators to keep in mind “unique students” when designing and teaching courses.
They said this increased the engagement, participation and performance of all students, while a universal design structure for all institutes would enhance accessibility and create barrier-free environments for learners, teaching staff and other employees.
“What we do to improve the inclusion of persons with disabilities will benefit society at large.”
Last week, FMT reported two academics as questioning the lack of diversity among the experts tasked with drafting a new higher education blueprint, saying the line-up omits, among others, vocal critics in the sector.
Higher education minister Zambry Kadir confirmed earlier this month that the Malaysia Higher Education Plan 2026-2035 was being drawn up.
He said it would be completed by the end of the year, to replace the current blueprint which ends next year.