How can we help the disabled?

The office of outspoken minister Kwik Kian Gie found a simple way to commemorate the International Day of Disabled Persons which fell on Dec. 3.

The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) office on Jl. Taman Suropati, Central Jakarta, just hung a banner on its fence that read: "The government is committed to providing equal treatment for disabled people" (forgive me if I haven't quoted the slogan accurately).

If a bombastic slogan such as this was displayed during Soeharto's era, it would be understandable. But it was shocking that this empty cliche was issued by the office of Kwik Kian Gie, known as a populist economist, whose commitment to equality is unquestionable.

I hope I'm wrong, but as far as I know, the office doesn't even provide wheelchair access, or a special toilet for disabled persons, or special signs for blind people. As far as I know no disabled person has been accepted, until now, to work there.

As Bappenas is expected to formulate a national development strategy, I am afraid it appears that issuing slogans is the only solution offered by Kwik's office toward resolving this social problem.

"Don't judge other people. You only started to pay attention to problems of disabled people after you had to take care of me," my wife said admonishingly when I complained about Kwik. She herself is a fanatic fan of the economist.

She may be right. My wife has been confined to a wheelchair since May last year after undergoing surgery on the spine. The doctors strongly advised her to have the operation after a fall in the bathroom, saying that otherwise she may be paralyzed.

The result? She could walk before the surgery, but could not move at all from her bed after the surgery. The doctors, who tend to think patients know nothing about modern medicine, simply told us, "we have done our best, but God has decided otherwise."

As a journalist, I was very disappointed as I couldn't crosscheck the doctors's claim directly with God.

In my opinion, the best opportunity for the state to pay attention to the needs of the disabled actually occurred during the 21-month presidency of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

Gus Dur is visually impaired -- practically blind, while his wife Sinta Nuriyah was confined to a wheelchair after a serious traffic accident, years before Gus Dur became president in 1999. They are a great couple, they served their nation and their shortcomings even become their strength. Whatever Gus Dur's other weaknesses, the couple's spirit was an ideal role model for the disabled.

Now who has sincere empathy for disabled people?

Honestly, I myself paid little attention to them, until my wife's surgery. Only when something happens to our loved ones -- son, daughter, spouse, parents or siblings -- we are made aware of their predicament in Indonesia.

And how about the attitude of the majority of Indonesians toward those who have a physical disability? In public places, they are scrutinized as if they are aliens from other planet. Maybe they are just plain curious, but the onlookers without realizing it have hurt and offended the disabled person.

To my surprise, during the last 20 months, I found that Chinese-Indonesians show stronger empathy for the sick or disabled.

It has often happened when they see my wife at a shopping center, that they approach her and ask about her condition. Many give lists of shinsei (traditional Chinese healers and herbalists), doctors or other people who offer alternative treatment.

A Chinese friend offered an explanation for what I had observed.

"Maybe because we have suffered from discrimination, we feel more empathy for other people's suffering."

Who knows? Whatever the reason, their attitude is helpful.

How about public facilities for the disabled? I can only talk about public facilities for people who use a wheelchair. The suffering endured by disabled people who cannot find a job or continue their studies just because of their physical condition is another issue. Those who face discrimination may be worse off that my wife.

A cashier at a Lippo Bank branch urged me to close my wife's account and open a new account for myself as my wife would usually wait in the car, parked just in front of the bank, every time I made a transaction on her behalf. The reason given by the cashier was that it was inconvenient for her to come to the car to verify my wife's signature.

Even the biggest and oldest privately run hospital in Jakarta, St. Carolus, doesn't provide a special toilet with wheelchair access.

Again, as far as I know Plaza Senayan provides the best facilities for people who use wheelchairs. Indeed, there are four parking spaces for them, in front of Sogo and in front of Hero supermarket in the basement. There is a special toilet on the first floor. The lifts are comfortable.

But what about other shopping centers? Mal Taman Anggrek doesn't have such facilities, according to its security guards. The lifts are too crowded. Pasaraya Blok M? Just the same.

Despite my wife limitations, she sometimes says funny things about her condition.

"I'll chase you, Eva!" she threatened our daughter who was pretending to leave her behind in a hospital last month, without realizing that she could not walk without other people's help.

However, it's very hard for me to answer whenever she asks: "When will I be able to walk normally again?"

It's very touching to see her prepare my breakfast every day from her wheelchair.

Well, the message for you (if you are still reading this) is: "Stop having pity on disabled persons. What they need is the right to equal treatment as a citizen of this country. And you can help them to fight for that."

-- Kornelius Purba