Government, public urged to respect the disabled
Government, public urged to respect the disabled
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Association of Disabled People
called on the government and the public to respect the rights of
the physically challenged.
Association chairman Koesbiono Sarmanhadi said the existence
of a law guaranteeing the rights of the disabled did not prevent
people and the government from violating these rights.
He urged the government to ensure Law No. 4/1997 was properly
implemented and enforced.
The law requires public facilities take into consideration and
provide for the needs of the disabled.
"We're not asking for something which is exclusive... We
only want better access to be able to use public facilities," he
said here on Thursday during a seminar titled Accessibility for
the Disabled -- Between Regulation and Reality.
He gave several examples where simple consideration would go a
long way toward ensuring the rights of the disabled.
Clearer sign boards and more adequate public address systems
in places such as railroad stations and airports would make it
easier for the blind and deaf to travel, he said.
"Not only that, but it would also make it easier for normal
people," he added.
Koesbiono said his association was asking for nothing more
than generally accepted universal standards to accommodate the
needs of the disabled.
"We understand that providing special and complete facilities
like the ones in developed countries takes time, so we're only
asking for the simple things," he asserted.
The assistant to the director general of the Public Works
Agency, Imam Santoso, believes the lack of penalties for those
failing to provide facilities for the disabled is one reason why
the needs of the disabled are neglected.
Imam conceded the implementation of the law would require
time.
He added that one reason these facilities were not being
provided was because it would mean additional costs. "But if
these special facilities are included from the planning stage,
then the additional costs should not be a problem." (04)