Blind renew equal opportunity demands<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Blind masseurs are often seen walking through
\nhousing complexes in the evening, seeking people who require
\ntheir services.<\/p>\n
The question is why are so many blind people attempting to eke
\nout a living with their massage skills, when the Constitution
\nguarantees all citizens equal opportunities in obtaining an
\neducation and employment in all fields?<\/p>\n
Setia Adi Purwanta of the Yogyakarta-based Dria Manunggal
\nFoundation lamented on Monday the long-standing stigma imposed by
\nthe government and society on people with different abilities,
\nmarking them as incapable and unable to take any role in the
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
\"It's a very discriminatory way of thinking. It's not the
\nquestion of being able or not, but we have never been given the
\nchance to contribute to society,\" he told The Jakarta Post here
\non the sidelines of a four-day training seminar for the blind.<\/p>\n
Setia, who lost his vision 25 years ago in an accident,
\ninsisted that the government revise the national education system
\nto put the blind and other people with different abilities on the
\nsame level with other students.<\/p>\n
\"We have submitted a counterdraft of the education law to the
\nHouse of Representatives, which offers a more humane education
\nand obliges the government to take full responsibility for its
\nenforcement,\" he said, adding that the deliberation of the bill
\nis expected to start in October.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed education system, all schools would be
\nrequired to admit students with different abilities.<\/p>\n
The executive director of the non-governmental group Yayasan
\nMitra Netra, Bambang Basuki, said the state should not evade its
\nresponsibility to provide special services and facilities for
\npeople with different abilities, particularly since many
\ndisabilities were the result of development.<\/p>\n
\"The state has failed to provide jobs and social security,
\nwhile accidents can happen at anytime which can cause people to
\nsuffer some form of impairment. But now we are considered the
\nburden of society. Society still treats us as less human. This I
\ncannot understand,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Yayasan Mitra Netra, which focuses on education and human
\nresource development for the blind, is holding leadership
\ntraining to help the younger generation maintain the struggle for
\ntheir rights.<\/p>\n
The event's steering committee chairwoman, Aria Indrawati,
\nsaid less than 1 percent of eight million visually impaired
\npeople in the country received a proper education that would
\nallow them to compete with others, especially in seeking
\nemployment.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the vice chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid and
\nHuman Rights Association, Harry Wibowo, said the association
\nwould provide legal aid for people with different abilities whose
\nrights were abused. (bby)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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