In “The Regardless of Disability, Everyone has a Right to a Future” community service project for residents of Bukit Harapan Therapy Community with physical, cognitive and emotional-behavioural difficulties prepared the residents of the Home to study in schools.
The project was initiated and spearheaded by the Division of Physiotherapy Education of the University of Nottingham, UK which provided physical rehabilitation intervention to the residents who were in need of such intervention in collaboration with The School of Education at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) who was responsible for assessing and evaluating the educational provisions that were available and conducting education interventions and making recommendations to enhance the residents’ access to education especially in their development of literacy skills.
“This Special Needs strand within our School of Education is underpinned by respect for diversity and human potential. This project fits in our Special Needs programme values. It gave the team an opportunity to advocate a holistic, person-centred and inclusive view of education and to promote ‘research-informed practices’ to support the education and social needs of the residents of Bukit Harapan, said Dr Wong Tze Peng, Assistant Professor in Special Needs at UNMC.
Through this project, our students were encouraged to develop their own autonomy, critical thinking and reflective practice, which gives them a practical aspect of their studies” said Dr. Wong.
The first stage of the project includes assessments and detailed profiling of the residents and proceeded to personal-social, basic oral communication, reading literacy, numeracy and eye and hand coordination skills recommendations for their school placement, additional coaching requirements, suggested follow-up referrals such as for speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychotherapy.
“Many disabled people suffer from a lack of education because they do not have easy access to the school system. Without formal education, it becomes difficult for them to realise their potential and contribute to society more broadly. We must aspire to give everyone the right to access the opportunities that are created by education and my colleagues at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus are working actively to reach out to disadvantaged groups including those who are disabled,” Professor Christine Ennew, CEO and Provost of UNMC said.
This project has provided an opportunity for the students of UNMC to apply their skills in education and special needs with a multi-disciplinary team and in a real-life environment. The students reported that the experience was positive and they have benefitted from learning to communicate with the different organisational layers of the establishment
UNMC was represented by Lim Hooi Shan and Constance Yuen Sook Teng, Raveenajit Kaur, Dr Sivabala Naidu, Dr Wong Tze Peng and students from UNMC and the University of Nottingham, UK. The project was mainly funded by the University of Nottingham’s Cascade grant from the University of Nottingham UK and the School of Education at UNMC.
About the School of Education, UNMC
The School of Education provides an exciting and rewarding learning experience with a global view. We aim to inspire our students to inspire others. Because we believe that education can improve the lives and opportunities of individuals and communities, we champion the study and improvement of education for all. Our vision is to build upon our local, national and international reputation for the highest quality scholarship, ‘research-informed practices and teaching in the field of education.
Blog on The Regardless of Disability, Everyone has a Right to a Future
Division of Physiotherapy Education, the University of Nottingham, UK
Physiotherapy is one of the University’s most popular courses and Nottingham is one of the most popular places to study physiotherapy in the UK. This popularity is based on our reputation for providing education within a supportive and nurturing environment, which not only develops the individual, but produces first-class physiotherapists.
This division offers BSc Physiotherapy and BSc Sport Rehabilitation and Exercise Science at the University of Nottingham, UK.
About Bukit Harapan Therapy Community
Bukit Harapan is a publicly-funded Home which cares for the underprivileged and helpless community. The Home shelters the disabled and victims of abuse and rape. It is based in Kota Kinabalu Sabah.
诺丁汉大学（英国大学马来西亚分校）The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
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