The Visual Communication Design (DKV) Study Program of Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) took part in the Symposium of Art, Design and Literacy for Inclusive Education 2025, organized by the Faculty of Art and Design of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) on Saturday (7/12/25). The symposium, themed “Creating Inclusive Creative Spaces”, brought together academics, practitioners, and researchers from various Asian countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
The event aimed to strengthen discourse on the role of art, design, and literacy in fostering inclusive education, particularly for children with special needs such as autism, low vision, Down syndrome, and others. UNNES’s participation marked a key outcome of an ongoing collaboration between the DKV departments of UNNES and ITB through a previous joint project on Developing Interactive Educational Media for Young Children with Autism.
Held at the Center for Arts, Design, and Language (CADL) Building, ITB, the symposium was officially opened by Indonesia’s Literacy Ambassador, Mrs. Aryarti Benarto. The event featured three keynote speakers: Prof. Endang Rochyadi, M.Pd. (Indonesia University of Education), Dr. Eunice Tan (Singapore University of Social Sciences), and Dr. Riama Maslan Sihombing (ITB).
RKI 2025 was not limited to paper presentation sessions, but also included panel discussions, poster sessions, art exhibitions, and a closing concert. The outcomes of the symposium will be compiled and published in a reputable international conference proceeding, contributing to the academic body of knowledge and practical advancements in inclusive education across Asia.
In a parallel session entitled Inclusive Children’s Book Design for Easy Access, Rahina Nugrahani from UNNES presented her research titled “Fostering Student Awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder through the Creation of Visual Communication”. Her work highlights the critical role of visual communication as an educational tool to raise adolescent awareness of autism spectrum disorder through an inclusive and empathetic design approach.
In addition to Rahina Nugrahani, five other presenters showcased design innovations for children with special needs. These included: Nuriana Sekarlintang with her design of a Tactile Picture Book for Visually Impaired Elementary School Students, Arum Githa Putri with AR-Integrated Storybook for Pre-adolescent Girls, Diani Apsari with Inclusive Illustration Design in Children’s Storybooks, and Palupi Argani with her research on Sirah Nabawiyah Narrative in Autism Education.
UNNES’s involvement in this international forum reflects its active contribution to the development of art and design-based learning media in support of inclusive education. Furthermore, the symposium served as a strategic platform to expand academic networks and foster international research collaboration in the fields of art, design, and literacy.