Arick Istriyanti and the Struggle for Inclusive Education in Badung

Ni Luh Arick Istriyanti seems closely aligned with the legendary motto of Raden Ajeng Kartini: ‘After darkness comes light’. Arick is fighting for the educational rights of children with special needs in Badung Regency, Bali. For her, the true darkness is when children with disabilities are isolated by negative societal stigma and considered a family disgrace that must be hidden. Arick is striving to realise inclusive education even in the remotest villages in northern Badung. ‘The presence of inclusive education in Badung is a proclamation that behind limitations, there is unique strength through the potential they possess if we are willing to accept it,’ Arick stated when met by detikBali at Puspem Badung on Monday (20/4/2026). Arick is a clinical psychology expert at the Disability Services Unit (ULD) of the Badung Education, Youth and Sports Office. This clinical psychologist, a graduate of Airlangga University, became interested in the world of inclusive education due to her strong belief that every child has unique potential. Her childhood in Sibang Kaja Village, Abiansemal Subdistrict, Badung, also shaped her concern for viewing education through the lens of psychological science. ‘Every individual has their own strengths. It depends on how we accept that condition,’ she added. As a clinical psychology expert at ULD Disdikpora Badung, Arick leads a team consisting of educational psychology experts and dozens of special accompanying teachers. Her daily tasks include field psychological assessments to developing intensive support strategies so that students with special needs can learn optimally in regular schools. ‘We provide service facilities in the form of support from psychologists and special accompanying teachers through a programme called Sapa Inklusi to bring these services closer to the community. Our team usually uses behavioural target strategies and modifies learning media that adapt to the current national curriculum,’ added the 2019 First Place Winner of the Youth Pioneer in Education from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Arick’s greatest challenge when going to the northern Badung area is facing the traditional mindset of the community that links disability conditions with mystical things from the past. According to her, denial from parents often kills the child’s independence because they lose access to education and therapy that should be obtained from an early age. ‘The community’s mindset is the toughest fortress to penetrate, even though we cannot ignore the infrastructure service challenges in remote areas. There are still parents who do not acknowledge their child’s condition, so it takes a long time to provide explanations so that they are willing to collaborate in providing support at home,’ said the member of the Indonesian Psychological Association (Himpsi) Bali. Arick also manages the Bali Ekspresi Community and practices independently at Kiran Consulting. As a mother and worker, she strives to maintain professionalism while ensuring her full presence, both physically and mentally, for her small family at home. ‘Sometimes there is a feeling of guilt at the office because of missing time with the child, but I continue to learn to manage myself so that I can still focus on parenting. For me, improving personal quality is an individual responsibility so that we do not get swept away by the times but still have strong values,’ Arick said. The most touching experience for her is seeing changes in students’ behaviour, such as a child who initially could not sit still now beginning to be able to follow the teacher’s explanation. Heartfelt moments are also often felt during sharing sessions between parents in regular schools, which indirectly teach empathy values to other students. ‘No matter how small the progress, we greatly appreciate it, for example, a child who initially could not read now understands two syllables, that already makes us very happy. The presence of children with special needs in regular schools gives other students the opportunity to learn empathy and acceptance directly from their peers,’ added the counsellor on the mental health app Heyy. Arick hopes that inclusive education will no longer be seen as a marginal issue, but rather viewed as a long-term investment to produce productive human resources. She emphasises the importance of cross-gender collaboration between fathers, mothers, and the government so that children with disabilities are no longer considered a social burden. ‘Let us change the narrative of pity into a movement of investment so that our younger siblings become independent, empowered, and not positioned at the bottom caste in society. If we sideline them, it means we deny the spiritual philosophy of Tat Twam Asi which teaches that I am you and you are me,’ concluded the woman who also serves in the Science and Research Division of AP2I Region Bali.