IT IS heartening to know that over the past two decades, we have moved towards being a more inclusive nation with regard to the disabled.

From the Advisory Council for the Disabled in the late 1980s to the recent Enabling Masterplan and 2020 Transport Plan, Singapore is become more and more inclusive, and opportunities for the disabled are being created.

In particular, people are becoming more aware and education is made accessible to them.

Yet, with regard to education, while our universities are heralded as world class, it has come to my attention that accessibility remains an issue that needs to be resolved.

For instance, at the National University of Singapore where I am studying, it is impossible for the wheelchair-bound to move independently from faculty to faculty via the internal shuttle bus. Access is also virtually impossible from the Kent Ridge terminal because of a long flight of stairs.

While lifts and ramps are now being installed, there are areas and offices that are inaccessible. For example, the history and political science departments at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are accessible only via stairs.

And for the blind, the lack of tactile guides means some inconvenience.

The situation regarding access in the other universities is unclear, but I hope they and the Ministry of Education will look into this, regardless of the number of disabled students.

For Singapore to truly boast of a world-class education system, accessibility in universities and schools should be the first issue to look into.

Victor Zhuang

This article was first published in The Straits Times.