Amid the bustling atmosphere of the graduation ceremony, the story of Muis Dela Pondesta stands as a testament to the perseverance of a student who faced and overcame limitations. Muis graduated from the English Literature Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Culture (FBSB) at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta. He is a person with autism and bipolar disorder—hidden disabilities that often go unnoticed but present real challenges both academically and socially.

Music is often associated with sound and hearing, but that assumption has been challenged by research conducted by Dr. Drijastuti Jogjaningrum, a lecturer in Music Arts Education at the Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). Through her research, she has shown that deaf children can still make music using a multisensory learning approach that goes beyond auditory perception.

Group 10 students of the Marketing Management B Class of 2025, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), conducted an outreach activity themed “Together to Reduce Inequality and Promote Equity” at SMPN 1 Pengasih. The activity aimed to enhance students’ understanding of the importance of justice, equality, and inclusivity in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) continues to demonstrate its commitment to building inclusive and disability-friendly higher education through an international research collaboration with the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, under the project “Disability Rights and In/Equalities in Higher Education.” Two lecturers from UNY’s Department of Special Education, Pujaningsih, Ed.D and Nur Azizah, Ph.D, recently conducted an academic visit to the University of Exeter as part of the project’s implementation.

A research team from the Department of Sociology Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Political Science (FISIP), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), in collaboration with KKN group KKNRD028, implemented a program to strengthen political literacy based on GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) in the community of Kanigoro Hamlet, Saptosari, Gunungkidul.

The activity, held at the Kanigoro Hamlet Hall, aims to cultivate an understanding of politics that is equal, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of marginalized groups.

A community service group from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), KKNM-27533 from the Sociology Education Study Programme, carried out inclusive political education (GEDSI-perspective: Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) for 25 PKK (Family Welfare Empowerment) mothers from RT 1, 2 and 3 in Dusun Dukuh, Madurejo Village, Prambanan Sub-district, Sleman Regency.

That morning, the community hall of the hamlet Kadibeso in Argodadi, Sedayu, Bantul felt more alive than usual. The sky, which was beginning to clear, blended with laughter and banter filling the air. Here, the students of the Community Service Programme (KKN) of UNY together with the Argodadi Pinilih disabled community gathered in an activity entitled “A Day of Learning and Exchanging Feelings.”

University of Yogyakarta (UNY) has once again shown its international presence. Five doctoral (PhD) students from the Vocational Technology and Education (PTK) program at UNY together with one professor took active participation in the international conference GeNeMe 2025 – Communities in New Media, recently held at Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), Germany.

The prestigious conference served as a scientific forum for global researchers to share ideas and innovations in the fields of education, technology, and new media.

A team of lecturers from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at UNY — namely Isti Yunita, Ph.D., Prof. Jaslin Ikhsan, Dr. Kun Sri Budiasih, Dr. Cahyorini Kusumawardhani, and Sukisman Purtadi, M.Pd. — carried out a community service program titled “Training and Mentoring Life Skills through the Making of Healthy Food for Children with Special Needs” at SLB Bhakti Pertiwi Yogyakarta.

This programme reinforces UNY’s commitment to inclusive and equal education, and the development of practical skills that provide independence for learners.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) reaffirms its commitment as a pioneer in inclusive education and gender equality at the global level. Dr. Nur Azizah, Ph.D., a lecturer in the Special Education Study Program at the Faculty of Education, served as a speaker at the Workshop on Lifelong Learning and Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities, part of The 5th Asia Pacific Pre-Congress IASSIDD 2025 held in Singapore.