Facilities, jobs don't cater to disabled
Facilities, jobs don't cater to disabled
Dewi Santoso and PC Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Access to public facilities and job opportunities are very
limited for disabled Jakartans.
A 2003 survey by the Indonesian Association of Women with
Disabilities (HWPCI), the Jakarta Architect's Club and School of
Civil Engineering at Trisakti University revealed that of the 43
public buildings surveyed, less than 10 had parking lots,
elevators, toilets, public phone booths and walkways accessible
to the disabled.
The survey was conducted in a variety of buildings such as
malls, hotels, offices, hospitals, recreation centers, airports
and mosques.
Based on the survey, Mal Kelapa Gading in Kelapa Gading, North
Jakarta, is best-equipped with facilities for the disabled,
including parking lots, elevators, toilets and public phone
booths.
Still, the result of the 2003 survey was better than the
results of a similar survey conducted in 2001 by the same
organizations. At that time, of the 35 public facilities that
were surveyed, only Gambir railway station, Central Jakarta,
provided access for the disabled in its parking lots, elevators,
toilets, public phone booths and walkways.
The railway station is one of the pilot projects set out to
provide access for disabled persons. The project was initiated
during the administration of former president Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid, who is technically blind and whose wife is confined
to a wheelchair.
The HWPCI said that non-disabled people often used the
facilities provided specifically for disabled people.
The World Health Organization estimates that 10 percent of
Indonesia's 220 million-strong population has some form of
disability.
The disabled also face a struggle when trying to land jobs for
which they are qualified, as many recruiters perceived their
disabilities as a liability or limitation.
In order to help disabled people to find jobs, the Indonesian
Association of the Disabled (PPCI) and the Ministry of Manpower
launched a registration program and published registration forms
in a national daily for two consecutive days in October 2002.
However, only less than 100 responded, said HWPCI secretary
Maulani Rotinsulu.
"Maybe this was due to the paper's market segment, since most
of its readership are from the middle and upper classes, while
many of the disabled are from the grass roots," she said.
Kasih Ani, chairwoman of the Empowerment of the Disabled
Workforce (LPTKPC), a non-governmental organization established
in August 2003, aimed to provide vocations for the disabled and
assisted job-seekers land proper jobs by recommending them to
companies and government offices.
The disabled have long demanded that the government provide
accessible facilities for them and have claimed that they have
been marginalized by the lack of access to public facilities.
Government Regulation No. 43/1998 on welfare of disabled
people stipulates that by the end of 2003, all government
buildings must provide access for the disabled. Yet, very few
buildings have fulfilled the regulation.
The government has also issued Law No. 4/1997 on disabled
persons, which stipulates that every company with a workforce of
over 100 must provide 1 percent of their posts for the disabled.
Those companies that violate the law can be fined a maximum Rp
200 million (US$23,810).
It is not clear at this time how well the law has been
enforced.
Life not a bed of roses for Julius
For Julius, 21, his gold medal in track and field at the
National Special Games last year meant nothing when it came to
real life.
As a visually impaired child, Julius has lived with
discrimination from "normal" people all his life.
"There was one time when I was standing for about 30 minutes
on the curb in Pondok Labu trying to cross the busy road, and no
one offered to help," he said. Instead of help, all he got was an
insult from someone who accused him of only pretending to be
blind.
Now Julius is in his third year of high school at the
Resources Center for Children With Visual Impairment in Lebak
Bulus, South Jakarta.
Even though he is proceeding with his education and has
acquired numerous skills, Julius -- as well as other students at
the center -- is pessimistic about his future.
"I still have to think about what I'll do after I graduate.
Will there be any jobs out there for people like me?"
There are, indeed, several companies offering jobs for the
disabled.
A big American fast food chain restaurant in Tebet employs
four disabled people who are hearing impaired or verbally
challenged.
"The four can work as effectively and efficiently as other
'normal' employees here," said the restaurant manager, who asked
to remain anonymous. -- JP