Inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of society

Inge Komardjaja , Bandung

The United Nations has set Dec. 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons. This annual observance is a reminder to be aware of disabled persons' need for physical and social access.

The commemoration's motto, Nothing About Us Without Us, is used by organizations for disabled people worldwide, and has an ultimate aim to attain full participation and equal opportunities for disabled persons.

The underlining meaning of the motto is that the general public needs to know about disabled persons because they are among us. We cannot deny their existence, whether or not we acknowledge them as part of society; even though some non- disabled people may feel that the presence of disabled persons in the community are an eyesore.

Others consider disabled persons as a burden on society, because they assume, out of ignorance or lack of knowledge, that disabled people are in constant need of help -- an assumption that denies disabled people the right to decide for themselves.

Then there are the non-disabled people who begin to admire disabled people only when they have "proven" themselves through accomplishments, often after a long struggle. Non-disabled people who believe in the capabilities of disabled persons and have a genuine respect for them at first sight are, unfortunately, rare.

Why do such negative attitudes of ignorance, antipathy and contempt prevail among the general public toward disabled people? The answer is, because we live in cultures that tend to place a high value on beauty, fitness and intelligence. However, the reality is far from these "norms".

Even so, people who do not meet these criteria are marginalized in terms of access to education, employment and public facilities, such as public transportation, public buildings and public spaces.

The world is full of people who do not meet the ideal standards of social and economic inclusion, which typically exclude physically or mentally disabled persons. While many disabled people wish that the non-disabled could be sensitive and positive toward their handicaps and special needs, they meet with discrimination instead.

It is a fact that disabled people do not receive the same opportunities and treatment as do the non-disabled.

People with physical or mental disabilities need extra time to cope with day-to-day problems and tasks. For example, a person with the use of only one hand would require more time to prepare breakfast than a person with the use of two hands.

In another example, an able-bodied person could cross the street quicker than a person with limited mobility in their legs, as the latter would need to wait longer until the road becomes passable to them. Able-bodied persons, on the other hand, would not need to worry as much about the heavy traffic, as they can maneuver their way through the moving mass of vehicles confidently.

Embarking and disembarking from public transport poses a different problem. For many physically disabled people, steps leading into a public transportation vehicle are unconquerable barriers, and public transport in Indonesia generally do not have handicap-access, such as ramps. Some disabled people can use public minivans, as long as they can get a seat in the front of the vehicle -- but this may entail waiting a long time.

To look at the issue from an alternative angle, it is the environment that disables people. If we can create restrictions to our environment, then we are also capable of building a barrier-free environment.

Many disabled persons are not constantly conscious of their disabilities, and manage their daily activities within the extent of their physical abilities -- that is, until they are confronted with physical and social obstructions, which may cause them to feel inferior. Furthermore, disabled persons who have learned to be independent may end up feeling humiliated if they are forced to ask for help frequently, as they become aware of their limited choices and of their dependence on those who provide help.

We often hear people say: "Not only are disabled persons impeded from walking safely along cracked and uneven sidewalks, but the non-disabled also find it inconvenient to use them, where hawkers display goods and occupy more than half their width."

Though this statement may have been well-intended, it is discriminatory, as it suggests that disabled people's need for accessible facilities will be tended to only when non-disabled people are able to use the sidewalks properly.

This is unfair to disabled persons. Why should non-disabled people have priority over the city's facilities?

On the other hand, imagine that a language school rejects the admission of a person in a wheelchair, simply because the classrooms are upstairs and the building has no elevators. As with anyone, the applicant may be qualified to take a language course and may later contribute significantly to society in their application of the acquired skill -- the only difference is that they have a physical disability.

Why do the authorities not take serious action to change the restricted environment into one that is accessible? It is too costly, they argue.

In the long run, however, the benefits the nation will enjoy from capable disabled persons is worth the effort. After all, Indonesia's fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid, led the nation through its transition from a reform to a democratic government -- never mind that he was nearly blind.

To reiterate, nothing about disabled people without them -- we would not even be concerned about them if they were not among us.

People with disabilities are no different than those without disabilities: They are legal citizens with a claim to universal human rights, as with any human being, and deserve the right to opportunity and to improving their quality of life.

No one chooses or wants to be disabled, but many people have learned to accept and to live with their disabilities. Such people enrich our perspective on life, and should be regarded as models of acceptance, perseverance and tolerance -- qualities that should be demonstrated by all societies.

We can ensure this end by taking active measures to embrace disabled people in all areas of society, beginning with providing wheelchair access to all public facilities.

For disabled persons: "Ever onward, no retreat."

Inge Komardjaja works with the Research Institute for Human Settlements in Cileunyi, Bandung, and is an observer of disabled persons.