The Department of Communication Science at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by hosting an expo aimed toward people with disabilities on Sunday, December 10th, 2023.
With the theme of Healthy Life for People with Disabilities, the event was a form of collaboration embodied by both the Roemah Difabel Foundation and students from the Communication Science Department. It mainly aimed at the public and people with disabilities to push them into leading a healthy life. Moreover, this event was also supported by Panti Wilasa Citarum Hospital and The Christian Foundation for General Health (YAKKUM).
Several activities at the expo included a creative video contest, an exhibition, and art performances. The head of the committee, Hafizh Rakha Tsany, stated that approximately 260 people from Indonesia were present at the expo.
“There were 230 people participating in the creative video contest from ten special schools and foundations scattered around Semarang (including Yakkum and RD). There were around 30 participants attending the online expo, making it 260 in total,” he explained.
Furthermore, he explained that the International Day of Persons with Disabilities Expo served as a platform for people with disabilities to unleash their creativity. At the expo, there was also an exhibition showcasing paintings of participants from Roemah Difabel Foundation, stands of participants from Dharma Mulia Special School, and B/C Swadaya Special School.
“We also hosted art performances featuring various foundations from Semarang. Additionally, the winner of the creative video contest was also announced on the same occasion,” he continued.
Through this program, which was a part of the Student Humanitarian Program, Hafizh hoped that this expo could improve awareness toward others. In addition, in the current era of digitalization, the participants with disabilities were expected to be able to keep up with the development of digital information systems.
“Thus, they will be able to improve their skills and knowledge regarding digital information. We also hope for participants with disabilities to hone their creativity to create more informative and educative works,” he concluded.
On a different occasion, Dr. Rahmawati Zulfiningrum, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom., the Head of the Communication Science Program at Udinus, stated that the Student Humanitarian Program could hone the soft skills possessed by students. This program is a form of internship implemented by the Department of Communication Science. She revealed that this program obliged students to produce an output by hosting a positive event.
“The event could act as a platform for students to contribute their knowledge and skills to the public. Moreover, the Student Humanitarian Program is aimed at sixth-semester students,” she concluded. (Humas Udinus/Ika. Foto: Dok. Ilkom Udinus)
