All the disabled need is a little support

Aziz, Munich, Germany

I was very touched by two articles in the Jakarta Post, Dec. 3, 2004, (Helping disabled people out of the shadows and Inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of society). As a person with a handicap, I did not even realize there was such an International Day for Disabled Persons. It would be no surprise to me if many more people were also unaware of it.

In response to these articles, I would like to offer a perspective about disabled persons from the view of one who has experienced a disability since childhood.

A strong will or determination can surpass what may seem an impossible handicap. This is the first and very important message I want to underline. Three years ago I went to an orthopedic surgeon to consult about the possibility for me to be able to drive a car. Having examined my physical condition the surgeon told me that I would not be able to drive a car like a normal person but that I could drive a modified car for the disabled.

Despite hearing such advice, I was still determined to take a driving lesson in an unmodified car provided by the company I worked for.

I figured that if it turned out I was not able to drive, at least I had given it my best shot -- I had simply nothing to lose. To cut a long story short, two months later I secured my driver's license and now I can drive a car like other normal (non-handicapped) people. That is why I rate a strong will as important.

But opportunity is also equally important; whether it is "available" opportunity or "created" opportunity. I might have a strong will but if there was no driving lesson and no non- prejudicial treatment -- I was given an opportunity for training despite my handicap -- it would have been difficult for me to realize my dream.

This is the kind of "available" opportunity -- because this facility, a driving lesson, was never meant specifically for the disabled -- while a "created" opportunity is what Inge Komardjaja mentioned in her article, and would include things like public access for disabled persons.

But where does my determination come from? While it is drawn from my own experience, I believe it is evident everywhere. A strong will arises from self-confidence -- that if others can do it, I can too. The role of family and community is vital in developing this confidence.

Ever since I was a child, my family and the community accepted my handicap just the way it was. I was trusted enough to become the buyer for my family's small book shop when I was 13 years old. The work required me to travel to other towns and be responsible for the money to buy the merchandise. My friends in the neighborhood always welcomed my participation when I joined them to play. It may look like these were minor things but actually these little things greatly influenced my personality. In terms of the previous two articles, I was always included and never was excluded in social activities and that treatment built a sense of equality inside my heart and my mind.

Disabled persons, like any other people have their rights, their needs and their potential to contribute. Perhaps the reluctance in developing disabled people is because there seems to be only a small contribution disabled persons can make while it costs more to meet their needs. This way of looking at the treatment of the disabled focuses only on needs and contributions but it does not look at a person's true potential or their rights. A further problem is that many people in the world especially in developing countries, disabled or not, have their basic rights unmet and unprotected. However, as Inge Komardjaja points out, just because non-disabled persons cannot exercise their rights does not mean they should eliminate the rights of the disabled.

There must be an improvement in society's thought-processes, especially those in legislating institutions and other decision- making bodies. Disabled people need supporting facilities to make them compatible and competitive inside society; to fully develop their potential to contribute. These are rights that must be explicitly guaranteed and at the same time this is the opportunity to develop a disabled persons' potential.

It is important that the impetus for developing disabled people is not based on notions of pity and charity. The aim of developing disabled persons should be to raise their dignity so a sense of motivation and independence can emerge. Empathy must replace pity and although charity is important it is not sustainable in nature. Public access and education are the two of the most critical aspects needed by disabled persons in Indonesia now. In developed countries these notions develop into affirmative action employment -- when a disabled person with the same level of qualifications is preferred for a vacancy.

Judging from what is now practiced in Indonesia, this goal does not look likely to be reached soon.

Not even any of the scholarship schemes for higher education abroad like the AUSAID (Australia), Chevening (UK), Fulbright (US) or the STUNED (Netherlands) have active and explicit policies to favor disabled people. The fact that sometimes it is twice as hard for a disabled people to reach the same level of qualifications tends to be overlooked.

But then again, if we are truly determined we must not be pessimistic about these hurdles. The campaign for public access and education to make disabled people independent must always be fought but without waiting for a miracle or being dependent on other parties. In this way the families and communities of the disabled can make a serious difference in their lives. And most importantly, disabled people must have enough will to be independent and not let their handicap reduce their self- confidence or their self-esteem.

The writer is a post-graduate student in Sustainable Resource Management at the Technical University of Munich. He can be reached at aziz9672@yahoo.com