Measuring Disabled Students’ Satisfaction Towards the Provision of Facilities at Public Universities in Kuala Lumpur
Shahrul Anuar, N.U.1, S.A, Hanif1, N.R, Zakaria, N.1
1 Faculty of Business, International University Malaya-Wales, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: [email protected]
Received: 30 May 2023 | Accepted: 10 July 2023 | Published: 30 July 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2023.5.2.26 __________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: This study investigates the satisfaction of disabled students with the provision of facilities at public universities in Kuala Lumpur. The study utilises a quantitative research approach to collect data from 105 respondents using a questionnaire. The results of the study reveal that most of the public universities in Kuala Lumpur have provided facilities for people with disabilities on their campuses. Nevertheless, the available facilities are less convenient for the impaired, or not friendly to the disabled people. The study also finds that People with Disabilities (PWDs) are not satisfied with the facilities for disabled people. Therefore, the management of universities needs to improve the facilities in higher education centres. The findings could assist the management of universities to consider the equality rights of disabled people so that this group could also enjoy the quality and comfortable facilities like other members of society.
Keywords: disabled student, satisfaction, people with disabilities, facilities
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
In Malaysia, the primary and secondary educational systems have been improved for students with disabilities. At both levels, the Ministry of Education is dedicated to offering students with disabilities the “Special Integration Education Programme” classes or well known as
“Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi” (PPKI) and offering courses that focus on developing their vocational skills. Now, many students with disabilities have successfully continued their studies at institutes of higher education. However, most institutions do not provide comprehensive facilities when compared to the primary and secondary levels since this group only represents a small part of the total number of students at the university level. Realizing this, the facility management at the higher education level has taken the initiative to provide facilities for students with disabilities. The provision of facilities at the university is critical because it can affect students’ learning processes. This statement is supported by Ainon &
Maizura (2018), who found that facilities significantly impact students' academic achievement and help them develop additional skills through extracurricular activities. Therefore, choosing public universities in Kuala Lumpur areas as a case study provides us with a further understanding of the facilities provided to ensure the satisfaction of students with disabilities.
Higher education centres are aiming to provide the best quality education to students (Ministry of Higher Education website, 2017). Hence, it is not surprising that 20 public universities have been built in Malaysia and these public universities are often the best choice for students.
However, the facilities for the disabled have not yet been fully provided or well maintained by
the university management. The basic disability facilities might not be comprehensive enough and this causes obstacles to the movement of disabled people. Focusing on the disabled students' satisfaction towards the facilities provided, helps universities to understand which facilities need to be upgraded. Facilities are a necessity that can help facilitate human daily life.
Without the provision of good facilities, human activities and movements are quite limited.
The existence of facilities in schools and higher education institutes is very important in helping to influence the learning process of students (Akomolafe & Adesua, 2022). The importance of this facility is strongly felt by those who are disabled. They are unable to live as comfortably and productively as other citizens or students due to a lack of amenities for the disabled at the higher education institute level. This circumstance also makes it difficult for impaired students to participate in activities and learn. Then they feel worried and dilemma in continuing their studies at the higher level because they think that the universities are also not aware of their impairments by providing facilities for students to continue their learning routine at universities. Indeed, some educational institutions refuse the applications of disabled people, for the unreasonable reason that they do not have basic facilities for disabled people to continue their routine lives in the university. Therefore, the lack of facilities for people with disabilities is one of the reasons why most higher education institutions find it difficult to admit students with disabilities into their universities (Bastanfard & Taghizadeh, 2016).
Moreover, some higher education administrations are insensitive in ensuring that each facility is at a minimal standard and in compliance with the rules established by legislation because of the small number of impaired students who register for each student recruitment session. A previous study by Ismail, Abdullah & Ghani (2021) further supported this claim by stating that there is still a very low degree of knowledge among educational institution management about the provision of accessible and accommodating facilities for disabled people. This can be proved when there are many more weaknesses that still exist in almost every institution of higher education, whether public or private universities in Malaysia about the provision of access and facilities for disabled students (Nasir & Efendi, 2020). Due to this condition, impaired students faced difficulties during their academic and extracurricular studies at institutes of higher learning. Finally, some of these students decided to transfer to other higher education institutions.
In line with the findings obtained by Choudhary (2017), disabled students not only find it difficult to access disabled-friendly facilities, but these students are also found to face discrimination at every level of their studies including the physical environment in the university area, the admission process at higher education institutes, and learning access. As a result, poor management of disabled facilities not only makes it difficult for this group to use facilities, but it can also indirectly affect the academic achievement of disabled students.
Recognizing the importance of disability-friendly facilities at the higher level, this study was carried out to investigate the specific facilities that have been given to the disabled at public universities in Kuala Lumpur. This study aims to obtain answers to the following research questions: (RQ1) Are the facilities provided for disabled students at public universities able to help the accessibility of the disabled; (RQ2) Are the provision of the facilities able to give satisfaction to disabled students? (RQ3) What are the problems faced by disabled students in accessing facilities at public universities and how to overcome them? The results of the study found that most of the public universities in Kuala Lumpur have provided facilities for people with disabilities on their campus. Nevertheless, the facilities supplied are less convenient for the impaired, or not friendly to the disabled people. The study also found that People with Disabilities (PWDs) are not satisfied with the facilities for disabled people. Therefore, this study is important to improve the level of facility management in higher education centres.
This could assist the universities to consider the equality rights of disabled people so that this group can also enjoy the quality and comfortable facilities like other members of society.
2. Literature Review
Student satisfaction has recently received a greater focus in higher education institutions due to increasingly intense competitive pressures in the education service sector (Chandra et al., 2019). This can be seen where many higher education institutions, whether public or private universities are racing to upgrade facilities and make every effort to provide the best services to achieve student satisfaction. This student satisfaction is not just focusing on normal students because disabled students also have the right to express their views and satisfaction in enjoying the special services and facilities provided at the university. Usually, students who are satisfied with the educational services and facilities provided are likely to persist in their studies and succeed in academics (Omar et al., 2021). Furthermore, students who are satisfied with the facilities provided may be able to persuade other students to join the program at their university and further encourage other students to follow courses at the same university (Pheunpha, 2019).
Therefore, if exceptional service standards can easily achieve the satisfaction of disabled students, then the level of satisfaction of disabled students can also be measured.
According to the statement of Cadotte & Turgeon in 1988 in the study of Noor (2015) revealed that “the scale is used to measure the level of student satisfaction with the service, and it can be arranged according to the level of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, critical, or neutral.” However, the feeling of “dissatisfaction” occurs when the service or product provided to the customer does not meet their needs. This situation can lead to disappointment and not bring any satisfaction even though the service has been provided. For example, the lack of disabled facilities at the university can most likely cause dissatisfaction. However, this is unpredictable.
If the university provides sufficient facilities for students with disabilities, the opposite may cause satisfaction. Regardless, higher education institutions can provide special services and disabled-friendly facilities to meet the needs of students with disabilities. However, the provision of these needs may receive less attention from the institution because the number of this group is very small and the cost of providing special facilities for the disabled is also expensive.
Transport is a significant public transport system for Malaysians to facilitate travel to the destination they want. Students, including disabled students, should be given priority in providing transport facilities at institutes of higher learning. This is because many students depend on the bus service provided on campus to move from one place to another due to the distance between the faculties (Noor, 2015). Therefore, the provision of efficient transportation facilities should be provided to facilitate the movement of students from one place to another (Omar et al., 2021). The provision of disabled parking spaces especially in the accommodation and classroom is very important to facilitate the movement of disabled students while they are in the campus area. There are two important functions regarding disabled parking: parking location and size of the parking lot. The parking location needs to be located near the main entrance of the premises and the size of the parking space must comply with the Malaysian Standard MS 1184:2014 which is Universal Design and Accessibility in the Built Environment code of practice that is essential for disabled people (Munira & Sidek, 2021). Disabled students need the distance of the nearest location and a large parking lot to facilitate and shorten their movement to the main door. Therefore, the provision of efficient transport facilities can reduce the risk of accidents and facilitate the movement of students from one place to another (Omar et.al, 2021).
The intended physical learning space is an area that provides a place for teaching and learning sessions, equipment to improve teaching and learning and additional tools that could support educational facilities (Noor, 2015). For example, the space in the class must be filled with organized furniture layouts, attractive decorations, and most importantly provide access to learning materials for disabled students. The arrangement of the physical learning space of the creative classroom facility can ensure that the teaching and learning process runs smoothly and effectively. Not only that, but good classroom management is also an important strategy because it could influence student academic achievement in addition to improving student comfort (Yooyong & Wimonchailerk, 2020). The support system is very important in giving flexibility to disabled students. For example, the university needs to provide learning materials in soft copy format, giving extra time for disabled students when sitting for exams, taking exams in separate places due to special needs as well as flexibility in terms of the maximum amount of their study period (Roslan, 2019). Malaysia's teaching and learning environment has undergone many changes. Instructors have been relying on the “chalk and talk” method since before the 1990s. Therefore, classroom management in the 21st Century must adapt to a new era because our country has experienced a change in modernism (Chindanurak 2018; Yooyong
& Wimonchailerk, 2020). To date, in parallel with the development of technology, modifying the learning space is needed. This can be implemented by adding modern equipment such as computers, networks, and electronic media to the classroom that can affect the way of teaching and learning. Noor (2015) in her study has also examined the infrastructure or facilities that are upgraded, or “smart” in the classroom, potentially affecting student learning in institutions of higher learning. For example, the implementation of special equipment such as audio-visual, braille, and more in the classroom assists disabled students to gain full access to the learning system.
Student accommodation facilities are an important facility in every higher education centre. In simple terms, a student accommodation facility is a residential facility provided by the university (Kim & Lee, 2016). According to the study of Nasir & Efendi (2016), the student accommodation provided by the university is classified as a significant facility that could influence the students to develop their intellectual abilities. Thus, the provision of comfortable student accommodation can provide a better quality of life for university students. For students with disabilities, comfortable accommodation facilities are essential for them to carry out their daily lives easily. Without the provision of comfortable special facilities for this group, it could cause dissatisfaction among the residents and possibly disrupt the learning process of disabled students at the university as well as affect the concept of sustainability of the accommodations (Ismail et al., 2022). To develop a sustainable student accommodation that meets the needs of the residents, the facilities available in student accommodation nowadays need to be examined by identifying the issues and problems that arise so that these problems can be overcome as best as possible. Nowadays, several higher education sectors have actively expanded access to facilities for all categories of students including students with disabilities. This can be seen where along with the increase in the number of disabled students in the university, the increase in academic facilities and special accommodations in the university is also provided (Kim &
Lee, 2016). Therefore, the accommodation provided must be disabled-friendly and comfortable (Ajayi et al., 2015). Higher education institutions abroad are very concerned about the welfare of disabled students in their universities because they think that disabled people are also part of society, and they have the right to enjoy all the facilities in residential colleges like normal students. The facilities required by disabled students are different from normal students (Ahmed et al., 2014; Ismail, et al., 2022).
The library is a very important facility for all students including students with disabilities to ease their access to important data and information. The library facilities provided in every place of the institution can make it easier for students to find supporting information and get more reference resources to improve the knowledge of students at the university. Libraries play an important role in contributing to their users efficiently and effectively to satisfy their interest in knowledge and the information society (Ababio et al., 2012; Noor, 2015). This statement is also supported by Kumah’s studies in 2015. The researchers indicated that university academic libraries also play a role in supporting their university's goals to develop and maintain a successful research programme. Smadi (2020) contends that libraries can bring meaningful culture and education if they can contribute reference resources and special library facility services according to the type of student's disability. The study also indicates the availability of information resources in the library is quite limited. Amka & Dalle (2022) explained that students are more interested to use online information resources than book service resources provided by university libraries. The Internet can work as a communication medium and information source has enabled students, researchers, business information seekers and information professionals to access information to improve their work and communicate effectively (Paramasivam et al., 2022).
Based on the above findings, accessibility to facilities in educational institutions is very important for students with disabilities. The facilities they need are different from the needs of non-disabled students. Facilities such as buildings complete with parking facilities, elevators, ramps and so on need to be upgraded and provided, especially for this group. Without accessible facilities, students with disabilities cannot achieve their educational goals. (See Batanero et al., 2022; UNESCO, 2015). However, physical infrastructure facilities, transportation facilities, accommodation, and facilities for accessing information for students with disabilities in universities are still at a less than satisfactory level and are not friendly to the disabled (Ismail et al., 2021). Furthermore, there is still a lack of research related to the facilities provided at public universities in the context of the satisfaction of students with disabilities. This is because most researchers are more interested in conducting studies on normal students as it is easy to get respondents at the university. Regardless, many key factors affect the satisfaction of students with disabilities. These factors include transportation, classroom, student accommodation, and library facilities. Considering this, the study aims to find out the extent to which the provision of facilities can give satisfaction to disabled students at public universities was conducted and the conceptual framework is as follow in Figure 1:
Figure 1: Conceptual Model
3. Methodology
The researcher used a quantitative method, and the data was collected through a Google Form, and no respondents with visual impairments were involved in this study. The target sample of this study is undergraduate students from different kinds of public universities who have various types of disabilities, and experience using the disabled facilities at their university campus. A total of 105 disabled respondents were successfully collected in this study.
In this study, the questionnaire is classified based on the variables that influence disabled students’ satisfaction with using the facilities provided at public universities in Kuala Lumpur.
In addition, the questionnaire is divided into three parts which involve the background of the respondent and the variables used in the study. The first part includes the demographic background of the respondent like gender, age, race, educational background, type of universities and the type of disabilities. The second part of the questionnaire involves independent variables to investigate factors affecting the satisfaction of disabled students in accessing the facilities provided at the university. The questions are related to the facilities accessed throughout their studies such as transportation facilities, classroom facilities, student accommodation facilities and library facilities. The last part is the dependent variable which outlines to investigate the overall satisfaction of disabled students towards their university facilities. These inquiries provide scale responses that aid in determining satisfaction.
Respondents are required to rate the facility on a scale of 1 to 5 to help assess their level of satisfaction. The scale's responses will read "1: Very Dissatisfied," "3: Neutral," and "5" for Completely Satisfied. The respondents are also asked to rate how much they agree or disagree with a statement on a scale of 1 to 5. Strongly Disagree (1), Moderate (3), and Strongly Agree (5). Table 1.0 presents the measuring items of variable items used in this study.
Table 1: Measuring Items of Variables
Variables Measuring Items
Transportation Facilities (TF) TF1 - Are you satisfied the university provides special bus facilities for disabled students?
TF2 - Are you satisfied bus drivers are friendly and help disabled students access transportation?
TF3 - Are you satisfied with the disabled parking space provided?
TF4 - Are you satisfied the university provides pedestrian areas and good road quality to campus?
TF5 - Are you satisfied disabled parking signage is readable for disabled people?
Classroom Facilities (CF) CF1- Are you satisfied with the accessible classroom?
CF2 - Are you satisfied with the pathways to the classroom?
CF3- Are you satisfied learning space and furniture layout suit disabled needs?
CF4- Are you satisfied with the disabled learning tools?
CF5 - Are you satisfied with the learning materials provided?
Student Accommodation Facilities (SAF) SAF1 - Are you satisfied with the condition of the accommodation?
SAF2- Are you satisfied with the room layout is disabled-friendly?
SAF3-Are you satisfied with the quality of disabled toilets on accommodation?
SAF4- Are you satisfied with the quality of the lift facilities?
Library Facilities (LF) LF1- Are you satisfied with the reference sources and reading materials?
LF2- Are you satisfied with the study space in the library?
LF3- Are you satisfied with the availability of e- resources?
LF4- Are you satisfied with the assistance of library staff?
Disabled Student Satisfaction (DSS) DSS1 - You are satisfied with your decision to study in public universities.
DSS2- Facilities at the university campus are accessible and disabled-friendly.
DSS3 - You will recommend others to study in public universities.
DSS4 - You had a good study experience here.
4. Results and Discussion
Table 2 describes the demographic characteristics of respondents based on gender, age, race, educational background, type of university and type of disability. For the gender item, this analysis classified it into male and female. There was a total of 105 respondents consisting of both genders involved in this survey. The frequency for both males and females is 43 male disabled students (41.0%) and 62 female disabled students (59.0%). The age of available respondents for disabled students aged 18 to 25 is 44 people (41.9%). Meanwhile, 50 respondents aged 26 to 33 (47.6%) and only 11 disabled respondents aged 34 to 41 (10.5%) were recorded. Most respondents are Malay, comprising 79 people (75.2%). Regardless, there were also 14 Chinese students (13.3%) and 12 Indian students (11.4%) participating in this study. The undergraduate respondents involved are students majoring in Foundation, Diploma and Degree. Therefore, the frequency of respondents who took Foundation was as many as 30 students (28.6%). There are 34 Diploma students (32.4%) and 41 students (39.0%) for Degree majors. The respondents studying at University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) were 29 students (27.6%) and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as many as 18 students (17.1%).
Respondents from Universiti Malaya (UM) were 14 students (13.3%) and University Teknologi Mara were 44 students (41.9%). From the point of view of the disability types, respondents who had hearing impairment were 32 people (30.5%), respondents who had speech impairment were 29 people (27.6%), and 44 people (41.9%) have physical disabilities.
Respondents were mixed between undergraduate students with various types of disabilities to gauge their expectations regarding transportation services, classrooms, student accommodation facilities and libraries provided in each of these different public universities to see if they meet or exceed their expectations and be able to increase the level of satisfaction or not.
Table 2: Profile of Respondents
CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMOGRAPHIC FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)
Gender Male 43 41.0
Female 62 59.0
Age 18-25 44 41.9
26-33 50 47.6
34-41 11 10.5
42-49 - -
50 and above - -
Race Malay 79 75.2
Chinese 14 13.3
Indian 12 11.4
Bumiputera - -
Educational Background Foundation 30 28.6
Diploma 34 32.4
Degree 41 39.0
Types of Universities University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
29 27.6
International University Islamic Malaysia (IIUM)
18 17.1
University Malaya (UM) 14 13.3
University Teknologi Mara (UITM)
44 41.9
Types of Disabilities Hearing Impairment 32 30.5
Speech Impairment 29 27.6
Physical Disability 44 41.9
Learning Disability - -
(n=105)
The results of the multiple regression analysis are shown in three steps which are a summary of the model as in Table 3 (a) Summary of the model, 3 (b) ANOVA and 3 (c) Result of Coefficient.
Table 3 (a) shows a summary of the model where the specification of independent variables shows the ability to predict the satisfaction of disabled students. Based on this table, the R² model is 0.404 which shows that 40.4% of the variance in the satisfaction of disabled students can be explained by all the independent variables namely transportation facilities, classroom facilities, student accommodation facilities and library facilities. However, there is still some variance connected to other variables that were not considered in this study. The 𝑅2 value indicates that there may be other factors that influence how satisfied impaired students are with their education. As a result, this area is designated as the focus of further study.
Table 3 (a): Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. The error in
the Estimate
1 .636 .404 .380 .43969
a. Predictors: (Constant), LF, SAF, TF, CF b. Dependent Variable: DSS
Table 3 (b) shows the results of the ANOVA Analysis. The F value is 16.963 at the .001 level (p < 0.005) and it is significant. Therefore, independent variables such as transportation facilities, classroom facilities, student accommodation facilities and library facilities can have a significant impact on the dependent variable which is the satisfaction of disabled students.
Table 3 (b): ANOVA Analysis
Model Sum of
Square
df Mean
Square
F Sig
1 Regression 13.117 4 3.279 16.963 .001
Residual 19.333 100 .193
Total 32.450 104
a. Predictors: (Constant), LF, SAF, TF, CF b. Dependent Variable: DSS
Table 3 (c) indicates the results of the coefficient. The Beta for transportation facilities is .223 at a significant level of .014 (p < 0.05). Hence, it shows that Transportation Facilities are important facilities and help in facilitating the movement of disabled students throughout their studies on campus. The Classroom Facilities is .011 at a significant level of .906 (p > 0.05) and it is insignificant. It is possible that there is still a shortage in the provision of accessibility of classrooms, pathways safety, furniture layout, learning support tools or even learning materials for disabled students are still not sufficient to meet their needs. The study finds that there is no significant difference between Disabled Students’ Satisfaction with Student Accommodation Facilities. Beta for student accommodation facilities is .113 at the level significant .196 (p >
0.05) have reached the maximum acceptable value of 0.05. Finally, the beta of Library Facilities is .472 and the significant value of this facility is .001 (p < 0.05) where the significant value of library facilities is lower than the alpha value of 0.05 (p < 0.05). So, it can be concluded that library facilities have a significant impact on the satisfaction of disabled students. Library facilities are seen as an important factor in this study. Comfortable library facilities, easily accessible to people with disabilities and many reference materials are available that may contribute to student satisfaction because the services provided by the university exceed and successfully meet their needs.
Table 3 (c): Results of Coefficient
Hypothesis Standardized Coefficients Beta Sig.
H1: “There is a significant impact between transportation
facilities and disabled students’ satisfaction.” .223 .014
H2: “There is a significant impact between classroom facilities
and disabled students’ satisfaction.” .011 .906
H3: “There is a significant impact between student
accommodation facilities and disabled students’ satisfaction.” .113 .196 H4: “There is a significant impact between library facilities
and disabled students’ satisfaction.” .472 .001
The researcher concluded that only H1 and H4 are significant for the satisfaction of disabled students. However, for H2 and H3 it is not significant with the satisfaction of disabled students.
Figure 2.0 summarizes factors in the overall findings of hypothesis testing.
Figure 2: Hypothesis Framework
There is a significant relationship between transportation facilities and student satisfaction.
This is because public universities have provided bus services around the campus. A good and efficient shuttle bus service assists students to attend classes or other places without delay. The behaviour of a good bus driver might also be one of the reasons that increase the frequency of service and ultimately affect the disabled students' satisfaction. Designated parking spaces for disabled people also create satisfaction for disabled students in public universities. This parking space may be sufficient and located relatively close to their classes.
The result shows that library facilities present the most significant relationship with the satisfaction of disabled students. Disabled students are satisfied with reference resources, study spaces, the availability of e-resources and the quality of library staff service. One of the satisfaction factors is that the library provides sufficient book resources for students. It was also found that students highly value the availability of reading materials in the university library such as newspapers, thesis, journals, and encyclopaedias. This indicates that students are completely dependent on the campus library to access information resources. In terms of study space and availability of resources, providing a study room in a comfortable space and an efficient internet connection allow them to access resources online. Importantly, the university also provides reference facilities for books and theses in the form of Braille writing which might increase the satisfaction of disabled students. Disabled students feel satisfied with the help services of the library staff probably due to the attitude of the library staff who are friendly to the disabled and are willing to fulfil the request of disabled users when they are needed. Not only that, this facility has a more significant impact when it is possible that library staff at public universities also offer reading services for disabled students and provide special software tools such as S Computer Lab for them to access the internet in the library (University Malaya website, 2022). These facilities play an important role that affecting academic performance and student success (Ainon & Rosmaizura, 2018).
Classroom facilities are very important in providing a conducive environment to students during learning sessions. However, the results of the study are insignificant, showing high dissatisfaction among disabled students. The university has provided sufficient availability of classes; however, disabled students might find that the path to access the classes is not conducive. For example, a university building with a ground floor level where it is higher than the ground must be provided with ramps and lifts as specified in the standards. The provided ramps and lifts should be fitted with handrails and the quality of these facilities should always
be maintained to facilitate the safety and movement of people with disabilities, especially those using wheelchairs. Therefore, the university needs to invest in providing safe ramps and lifts to make it easier for disabled students to hang on when using the facility. From the point of view of the provision of special equipment for disabled people, the study found that disabled students were not satisfied with the learning tools provided. The university does not provide these special aids to them, and hence, they must purchase these special types of equipment or rely on others to translate learning sessions in class using sign language. Along with the advancement of technology, especially disabled students should be given facilities to access Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from various sources effectively. It is suggested that the university management expand the use of ICT to the disabled by providing services such as Braille reading materials, audio-visual, and JAWS software during the learning and teaching sessions in the classroom.
Students with disabilities at the university are also not satisfied with accessing the accommodation facilities provided at public higher education centres. The layout of the accommodation rooms provided is found not disabled friendly and the quality of the lift and toilet facilities is quite unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is suggested that special accommodation rooms for students with disabilities should be provided on the type of disability faced. For example, a disabled student in a wheelchair needs a room with a bathroom inside. This room must have a low knob and the bathroom must be large enough for those with wheelchairs. The positions of drawers, cupboards and study tables must be equivalent to the height of the wheelchair. Accommodation rooms for students with hearing problems or deafness should also be given special attention. To disabled people, all warnings in the form of sounds are not functioning. Therefore, the use of warning lights or vibrate systems installed in their rooms is needed. For the disabled who have vision problems, braille signs should be available at the appropriate level. These braille signs should be provided in all directions that are of interest or meet their needs. In addition, the lift facility provided in the accommodation area helps facilitate the movement of disabled students. However, sometimes these lift facilities are damaged and fail to function properly which makes it difficult for disabled students to move to their destination. If the provision of these facilities is installed and well maintained, it should be greatly appreciated and will be used as best as possible by disabled students.
5. Conclusion
This study is motivated to analyse how the provision of disabled facilities provided by the university has a great impact on the satisfaction of disabled students in public higher education centres. The results of the research indicate special facilities provided by the university not only affect the satisfaction of disabled students but can also affect their level of academic achievement. It was found that Transportation Facilities and Library Facilities have shown a significant impact on disabled student satisfaction. However, only Classroom Facilities and Student Accommodation Facilities do not have a significant impact on the satisfaction of disabled students in all public universities in Kuala Lumpur. It is also found that factors such as Transportation Facilities and Library Facilities affect the satisfaction of disabled students.
The sample size of the participants is a major limitation of this study. This study does not include the entire population of disabled students studying in Malaysia. The scope of the research is also only concentrated on disabled students studying in public universities in Kuala Lumpur. Hence, the results of student satisfaction cannot be generalized to private higher education. The results of the study found that there are only two independent variables that are significant with the dependent variable of the satisfaction of disabled students, which are Transportation Facilities and Library Facilities. Therefore, the researcher suggests adding other
factors to campus facilities such as the examination hall, computer lab and sports facilities.
Moreover, the researcher found it is quite difficult and complex to measure student satisfaction, especially disabled students as these people are a minority group in most institutions of higher learning.
References
Abdullahi, I., Yusoff, W. Z., & Gwamna, E. (2017). A review of physical and non‐physical facilities’ performance on student satisfaction in Northern Nigerian Universities.
Social Science, 12(4), 600‐608.
Ainon R., & Rosmaizura, M.Z. (2018). The impact of facilities on students’ academic achievement. Sci. Int. (Lahore), 30(2), 299-311.
Ajayi, M., Nwosu, A., & Ajani, Y. (2015). Students’ satisfaction with hostel facilities in a federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria. European Scientific Journal, 11(34), 402‐415.
Akomolafe, C. O., & Adesua, V. O. (2016). The Impact of Physical Facilities on Students' Level of Motivation and Academic Performance in Senior Secondary Schools in South West Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(4), 38-42.
Algolaylat, A. S., Alodat, A. M., Muhidat, M. A., & Almakanin, H. A. (2023). Perspectives of Students with Disabilities on Inclusive Education Challenges in Higher Education: A Case Study of a Jordanian University.TEM Journal. 12(1) 406-413.
Amin, A. S., Zuki, S. Z. M., & Akhir, N. M. (2019). Accessibility to facilities for persons with disabilities at public institutes of higher learning. Int. J. Recent Technol. Eng, 8(2), 21-37.
Amka, A., & Dalle, J. (2022). The Satisfaction of the Special Needs Students with E-Learning Experience during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case of Educational Institutions in Indonesia. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1).
Ali-Hassan, H., El Morr, C. (2019). Analytics in Healthcare: A Practical Introduction.
Germany: Springer International Publishing.
Ayenew, D. (2023). Ethical Considerations ~ Types & Examples. Retrieved From https://www.bachelorprint.eu/methodology/ethical-considerations/
Bastanfard, M., & Taghizadeh, K. (2016). Making University Campuses Suitable for Physical and Motor Disabled People (Case study: College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran). Current World Environment, 11(1) 66-82.
Bhandhari, P. (2021).Questionnaire Design | Methods, Question Types & Examples. Retrieved From https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/questionnaire/
Blackwell, Y. (2018). Students with disabilities attitudes regarding accommodations and services provided by Disability Services.
Brace, I. (2018). Questionnaire design: How to plan, structure and write survey material for effective market research. Kogan Page Publishers. http://educationinpakistan.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/09/Questionnaire-Design-How-to-Plan-Structure-Write.
Buder S. & Perry R. (2021) The Social Model of Disability Explained. Retrieved From Https://www.thesocialcreatures.org/thecreaturestimes/the-social-model-of-disability Bullare, M.I. (2020) Model Sosial Ketidakupayaan Perspektif OKU dan Bukan OKU.Kota
Kinabalu,Sabah:University Malaysia Sabah Press
https://books.google.com.my/books?id=gNQvEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=
y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Chandra, T., Hafni, L., Chandra, S., Purwati, A. A., & Chandra, J. (2019). The influence of service quality, and university image on student satisfaction and student loyalty.
Benchmarking: An International Journal, 26(5), 1533-1549.
Cherry, K. (2020). Reliability and consistency in psychometrics. Very well mind.
Choudhary, S. (2017) Special Accommodation Facilities for the Disabled in Universities.International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 6(4).
Course Lumen(n.d).Chapter 8: Multiple Linear Regression. Retrieved From https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-natural-resources-
biometrics/chapter/chapter-8-multiple-linear-regression/
Department of Social Welfare (2023) Disabled Registration Statistics by State and Category Up to January 31, 2023. Retrieved From
https://www.jkm.gov.my/jkm/index.php?r=portal/full&id=ZUFHVTB1NnJWM0EreGtwNC 9Vb1hvdz09
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Montenegro-Rueda, M., & Fernández-Cerero, J. (2022). Access and Participation of Students with Disabilities: The Challenge for Higher Education.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11918.
Hanssen, T. E. S., & Solvoll, G. (2015). The importance of university facilities for student satisfaction at a Norwegian University. Facilities. 33(14), pp. 744-759.
Harun, M. F., Hamid, M. F., Salleh, L. M., Zainal, N. D., Ahmad, N., Aznan, N., & Zakirai, N.
S. (2020). Knowledge and Awareness of PWD’s Facilities: A Case Study at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. In International Conference on Student and Disable Student Development 2019 (ICoSD 2019) pp. 132-140. Atlantis Press.
Hashim, N. L., Matraf, M. S. B., & Hussain, A. (2021). Identifying the Requirements of Visually Impaired Users for Accessible Mobile E-book Applications. JOIV:
International Journal on Informatics Visualization, 5(2), 99-104.
Haverila, M., Haverila, K., McLaughlin, C., & Arora, M. (2021). Towards a comprehensive student satisfaction model. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(3), pp.100-558.
Ismail, M. F., Abdullah, M. F., & Ghani, N. A. (2021). Provision of Students with Disabilities Facility at Public Universities: A Case Study. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 10(2), 839-853.
Ismail, M. F., Ghani, N. A., & Endri, S. (2022). Characteristics of A Conducive Residential College Needed for Students with Disabilities in Public University: A Case Study at The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 1365–1375.
Hyun, J., Ediger, R., & Lee, D. (2017). Students' Satisfaction with Their Learning Process in Active Learning and Traditional Classrooms. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 108-118.
Johnson, E.C., & Karley, J.S. (2018). Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction.
Jordan, J. (2015). Satisfaction of students with visual impairment within different school settings.Educational Specialist.10
Kara, A. M., Tanui, E., & Kalai, J. M. (2016). Educational service quality and students’
satisfaction in public universities in Kenya.
Khadka, K., & Maharjan, S. (2017). Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Centria University of Applied Sciences Pietarsaari, 1(10), 58-64.
Kim, W. H., & Lee, J. (2016). The effect of accommodation on academic performance of college students with disabilities. Rehabilitation Counselling Bulletin, 60(1), 40‐50.
Kumah, Cynthia H. (2015)."A Comparative Study of Use of the Library and the Internet as Sources of Information by Graduate Students at the University Of Ghana". Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1298.
Mat N.F.A., Abdul M.A.T., Muhammad F.S., & Wan M.,Wan M. (2020). A Review on The Internal Consistency Of A Scale: The Empirical Example Of The Influence Of Human
Capital Investment On Malcolm Baldridge Quality Principles In Tvet Institutions.
Asian People Journal (APJ), 3(1), 19–29.
McCombes, S. (2020).How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples. Retrieved From https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/hypothesis/
Ministry Of Higher Education. (2017).Kategori Universiti Awam.Retrieved From https://www.mohe.gov.my/institusi/universiti-awam
Mohamad, M. M., Sulaiman, N. L., Sern, L. C., & Salleh, K. M. (2015). Measuring the validity and reliability of research instruments. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 204, 164-171.
Munira, A.R. & Sidek, M.(2021).Bahaya Salah Guna Parkir Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU).Retrieved From
https://news.ump.edu.my/experts/bahaya-salah-guna-parkir-orang-kurang-upaya-oku
Mustaffa, W. S. W., Rahman, R. A., Wahid, H. A., Rhouse, S. M., & Hudin, N. S. (2019).
Exploring disabled students’ service quality dimensions: A case of Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). Int. J. Acad. Res. Progress. Educ. Dev, 8, 239-248.
Nasir, M. N. A., & Efendi, A. N. A. E. (2020). “If You Don’t Fall into A Drain, You Can’t Graduate!”: Disabled Malaysians In Higher Education Sector. International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled, Vol. 10.
Nor Azizi, A. A., Rabun, M. N., & Badarin, N. A. S. (2018). Are we disabled among the disabled?: disability awareness among the University of Malaya students. Journal of Administrative Science, 15(1).
Noor, N. H. M. (2015). The Factors Affecting Student's Satisfaction in University Utara Malaysia, Kedah (Doctoral dissertation, Universiti Utara Malaysia).
Omar, M. S., Manaf, M. Z., & Ali, W. A. A. W. (2021). Assessing Students’ Satisfaction towards Campus Facilities in Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin: An Empirical Study.
Paramasivam, S., Krishnan, I. A., Amin, A. S., Kaliappen, N., Sidhu, R. S., & Anbalagan, H.
(2022). Challenges Faced by Disabled Students in Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 2098–2113.
Pheunpha, P. (2019). A factor analysis of students’ perceived service quality in higher education. ABAC Journal, 39(4), 90-110.
Roslan, R. (2019). Dasar Inklusif, Peluang Saksama Untuk Pelajar OKU. Retrieved From https://www.iium.edu.my/my/news/dasar-inklusif-peluang-saksama-untuk-pelajar-oku
Rosli, S., Mahmud, S. F., & Azni, M. E. (2022). Mengintegrasi Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan (FPK) Dalam Membangunkan Modal Insan Bersepadu. Jurnal Dunia Pendidikan, 4(1), 86-103.
Rowan University. Academic Success Center. (2015). Retrieved From http://www.rowan.edu/studentaffairs/asc/disabilityresources/
Sa'ad, M. U. (2020). Students’ Satisfaction with Essential Hostel Services Provision and Academic Performance in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Nigeria. Journal of Energy and Environment.
Schober, P., Boer, C., & Schwarte, L. A. (2018). Correlation coefficients: appropriate use and interpretation. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(5), 1763-1768.
Smadi, O. Y. (2022). The Satisfaction Level of Students with Disabilities with Library and Information Services. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 10(2), 436-457.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, 333-339.
Tah, I. H. M., & Mokhtar, K. A. (2018). Konsep Hak Asasi Manusia Orang Kurang Upaya di Malaysia: Suatu Analisis. Kanun: Jurnal Undang-undang Malaysia, 30(1), 71-99.
Toutain, C. (2019). Barriers to accommodations for students with disabilities in higher education: A literature review. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 32(3), (pp.297-310).
University Malaya.(2022).Special Disabled Users. Retrieved From https://umlib.um.edu.my/special-disables-users
UNESCO.(2015).The Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities: an overview of the measures supporting the right to education for persons with disabilities reported on by Member States; monitoring of the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education (8th consultation) Paris, France: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Vetter T. R. (2017). Descriptive Statistics: Reporting the Answers to the 5 Basic Questions of Who, What, Why, When, Where, and a Sixth, So What?. Anaesthesia and analgesia, 125(5), 1797–1802.
World Health Organization (2023) Disability. Retrieved From https://www.who.int/news- room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health
Yooyong, S., & Wimonchailerk, S. (2020). A Study of Student Satisfaction Towards Instructors In General Education Department. In VII International Conference
“Transportation Realia: Aspects & Challenges for Economic Sustainability: TRACES 2023". 190-196.
Yusof, N. M., Asimiran, S., & Kadir, S. A. (2022). Student Satisfaction of University Service Quality in Malaysia: A Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(1), 677–688.
