Handicapped people demand equality in opportunities

Handicapped people demand equality in opportunities

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Disabled persons in the country are actually able and willing to
contribute to as many aspects of other people's lives as
possible, a legislator said.

He added, however, those people had not achieved the full
participation and equality expected due to the lack of awareness
on the part of the public and the government of their potential.

Paraplegic Fikri Thalib, a member of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) from the interest group faction, said on Monday
only a few ministries were familiar with the 17 laws and rulings
that they should follow to ensure the rights of disabled persons.

"The fact that we have a disability does not mean that we have
no capability at all. We are people with different abilities. The
blind can be tutors, lecturers, or even politicians," he said.

The theme for the observance of the International Day of
Disabled Persons which falls on Tuesday is: Independent Living
and Sustainable Livelihoods.

Some of the disabled, mostly the blind who have graduated from
Teacher's Training College (IKIP) have been rejected by the
Ministry of Education to teach at formal schools on the grounds
that they are incapable.

Fikri regretted that some 2.3 million blind people across the
country have the right to vote but could not be elected as a
legislator.

"The blind are not illiterate because they are able to read
and write in braille. However, the internal regulations of the
MPR stipulate that a person who is eligible to be elected as
legislator should be able to read and write in the Roman
alphabet," he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded in 1998 that 10
percent of Indonesian people had some degree of physical
disability while the figures at the Ministry of Health and
Ministry of Social Affairs stood at 6.7 percent and 1.5 percent
respectively.

"The country's denial of the existence of disabled people has
almost erased disabled workers from the list of the International
Labor Organization next year because the country has never given
an annual report about those workers," Fikri said.

Such negligence, he said, caused the country to miss out on
receiving international funds for disabled people.

Fikri added that importers had taken advantage of a tax
exemption to import equipment for the disabled while the disabled
had to pay a high price for the equipment.

He added that the blind only received five Braille computers
from Norway from 50 computers promised due to a lack of
information.

"Some 37 percent of assets donated by Japanese fund agencies
have also disappeared because there are no fixed regulations to
prioritize the interests of the disabled," he said.

Fikri, who also chairs the Committee for Advocacy for
Indonesian Disabled People and cochairs the National Board of
Indonesian Disabled People said that the existence of disabled
people was only recognized on the international day for them and
when the society wanted to absolve themselves of their sins
through charity.

"The existence and the rights of the disabled fade away as
soon as the events end. Therefore, we try to keep on striving to
increase public' awareness and understanding of disability issues
because we live for the rest of the days," he said.