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.