3.5 million disabled to have jobs by 2002
3.5 million disabled to have jobs by 2002
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia hopes to provide 60 percent its
disabled people with equal opportunity to employment by 2002.
Susilo Soepeno, director general for social rehabilitation of
the ministry of social services, said yesterday that by the year
2002 about 3.5 million (60 percent) of disabled people will have
opportunities to education and employment which are equal to
those of their more fortunate compatriots.
"The number of disabled people taken care of by the government
at present is only 30 percent," he said after closing the 10th
International Asia and Pacific Regional Conference on
Rehabilitation.
The conference was opened by President Soeharto on Sept. 12.
In 1993 the Asian Pacific countries proclaimed the Asian and
Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, which will last until 2002.
The government hopes that the number of disabled people cared
for by the government will double by the end of the campaign,
Susilo added. According to government statistics, Indonesia has
5.9 million disabled people, constituting 3.1 percent of the
population.
Susilo said that neither the government nor business is
currently able to provide special facilities for the disabled in
factories or public places. He added, however, that attempts to
improve the situation would begin soon.
He said intended to introduce legislation regarding
employment, education and transportation for disabled people.
"It is not easy because we have to consider other agencies'
readiness to implement the law once it has been passed," he said.
Susilo said that, according to data collected by the World
Health Organization (WHO), the number of disabled people in
Indonesia is about 19 million, or 10 percent of the population.
"The difference might have been caused by the use of different
criteria for disability," he added.
Head of the Indonesian Association of Disabled People,
Bahrawi, said that the countries who had participated in the
conference would, from now on, forge cooperation using the
Internet.
"Through the network, we hope that we will be able to exchange
knowledge and experiences on the rehabilitation of disabled
people," he said.
The problem for Indonesia, he said, is that the size of the
country means that programs to support disabled people are very
costly.
The conference, which was attended by 504 delegates from 46
countries, was closed by Susilo, who represented Siti Hardijanti
Rukmana, chairwoman of the organizing committee.
The committee said that the next conference will be held in
Hong Kong in three years time. (05)