Disabled people ask for equal opportunities

Disabled people ask for equal opportunities

Annastashya Emmanuelle
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Disabled people are often denied respect as well as
opportunities and are regarded as incompetent without being given
the chance to prove their abilities, said one disabled activist.

Having school and job applications rejected is something they
are much accustomed to.

"Many people don't realize that we, too, would like to pursue
further education and have jobs just like anybody else," said the
activist, Djoko Gunawan, who has been blind since birth.

Pity is something they could live without, but the right to
pursue the things that most people are entitled to remains an
ongoing struggle, he added.

"The notion that a crippled leg, for instance, means that the
person is entirely helpless should be straightened out," he said
on the sidelines of the Leisure Walk for the Disabled.

The Leisure Walk is being held to celebrate International
Disabled People's Day which falls on Dec. 3.

During their walk, from the National Monument (Monas) to the
Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and back to Monas, participants
were escorted by chaperones from their institutions.

As many as 150 disabled people from 17 institutions across the
city took part in the event.

Some of the participants make a living by selling crafts such
as greeting cards, paintings and ornaments for the home. Their
work will be displayed on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 at Atmajaya
University, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

"To me, this is an opportunity to be with my friends in an
exciting activity outside the institution. I want people to see
that we are able to engage in this kind of exercise," said
wheelchair-bound Peter Samosir, who fill his days making greeting
cards and wall ornaments.

A mother, whose daughter suffers from down syndrome, said that
she is happy to see her daughter motivated by participating in
such an event.

"She was very happy when appointed to carry the Leisure Walk's
banner as she got to walk in the front line of the procession,"
said her mother, Bong Emilly.