Students from the Communication Science Program at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) organized an event aimed at fostering the skills and creativity of disabled individuals through the creation of innovative content. The event, which was held on Friday, November 3rd, 2023, was conducted as the 'Coaching Academy For Disabled Content Creators (CADCC),' and was initiated by Communication Science students who had undergone a humanitarian work course called K3 (Kuliah Kerja Kemanusiaan).
Emphasizing the theme ‘Diffable Promote Healthy Lifestyle,’ the event aimed to provide an inclusive platform for disabled people to participate, express themselves, and convey important messages regarding health and healthy lifestyles. Through that event, the Bachelor of Communication Science at Udinus aimed to introduce and support disabled individuals participating in a creative video competition. This competition, along with coaching, was one of the key components of the event.
The workshop was held in the meeting room on the first floor of the H building at Udinus, and it was attended by hundreds of participants from various foundations such as the Christian Foundation for Public Health called ‘Yakkum,’ Coaching for Disabled Children Foundation (CDCF), House of Diffable Semarang, and other participants from local communities. Besides offline, the workshop event was also organized online through the Zoom Meeting platform.
Director of the Panti Wilasa Citarum Hospital, Drg. Kriswidiati, M.Kes., also participated in that event to give a speech. She extended her support toward the event, following her commitment to providing inclusive health facilities. “Through this activity, we are hoping that all participants who are disabled will feel more confident to contribute to the world of digital content,” added Kriswidiati.
As a representative of the whole academic community at Udinus, Dr. Rahmawati Zulfiningrum, M.I.Kom., the Head of the Communication Science program, hoped that this program will continually be conducted to give broader advantages. “This event is expected to enhance participants’ skills and creativity,” said Dr. Rahmawati.
This workshop was divided into three sessions. The first sessions emphasized digital literacy knowledge which was conveyed by one of the lecturers at the communication science department, who also served as the event coordinator, Swita Amalia Hapsari, M.I.Kom.
While delivering the material, Swita emphasized that digital literacy involves acquiring skills essential for effectively utilizing digital technology and information. She further outlined the four core foundations of digital literacy, which encompass competence, safety, culture, and ethics. “Competent means that we have to understand the supporting device to be a content creator. For instance, the supporting tools in production are camera, phone, tripod, ring light, and so on,” said Swita.
Besides that, she provided numerous references to disabled content creators who can serve as inspirations for creating video content. Hence, the second session which was delivered by Dodi Susetiadi, is a disabled volunteer from the House of Diffable or ‘Roemah Difabel.’ During his explanation, he emphasized ‘Diffable dare to speak and working their way to reach the peak.’ He also mentioned public speaking, tips & tricks to boost confidence, as well as the capital to start making content.
"During the public speaking coaching sessions for disabled individuals, we found some distinct differences when compared to those without disabilities. The key distinction was the requirement for adaptive and creative approaches. Adaptability is essential in adjusting to various disabilities, while creativity involves employing suitable methods that are matched with the specific needs," Dodi explained.
Whereas the third session or the closing session encouraged participants to implement the given material. All attendees are taught to make video content starting from the opening stage until the closing stage. (Udinus Public Relation/Ika. Photo: Doc. Udinus Communication Science)
