Indonesia's disabled face on uncertain future

Indonesia's disabled face on uncertain future

By Theresia Ariswari

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Being disabled in Indonesia is not an easy
thing.

I want to be treated with the same dignity as anyone else. I
am a citizen with the same rights as any educated person in my
country, but I'm not treated the same.

I have been disabled since childhood. I have always lacked the
strength for normal activities at home or at school. For example,
getting on the bus and climbing up stairs is difficult. I have a
disease which is called polyneuropathy and I have not been able
to feel my condition getting worse. When I was a child, I could
walk up and down the steps but even then I was weaker than my
friends. My friends did not ask me to join them at games because
I could not run as fast as them. So I became passive. But I kept
on studying and graduated from senior high school, majoring in
economics and social affairs.

My parents did not know anything about my disease, nor did my
brothers and sisters. Therefore they were very surprised to see
my condition getting worse. My two brothers cared for me; they
understood how I felt and comforted me by taking me to walks
around Yogyakarta, or to the movies. But when I saw the way
people pitied me, I became upset and started to wonder why I was
alive, how I could survive. I became depressive and even tried to
commit suicide, five times. But then I remembered that it was
forbidden, so I decided to try to solve the problem myself. I
read many books and that helped a lot.

There is nothing wrong with my body. I have two legs, two
hands, and can walk. However, I cannot walk up and down steps; my
body feels heavy. I have to hold on to the bannister, or I might
fall over and be unable to get up again.

Every year my condition gets worse. I never exercised in the
past; I regret that now. I ate without thinking. I rarely had
breakfast and fasted. Now, when I squat, I cannot get up again
and I have to find something to hold on to. I cannot stand for a
long time without holding on to something. I used to be able to
walk quite far, but not anymore. I never get on the bus alone.

Last year, I went to live at a rehabilitation center for
physically disabled people. I was able to improve my English
there, and I had dreams of going on to university. My friends
supported me, but it was not as easy as I thought.

There are problems for disabled people in Indonesia that stop
them adapting to normal society; there are few facilities for the
disabled here, in hospitals, universities and schools. When we
want to go to university it is difficult for us to walk up the
steps. When we want to get on a public transport vehicle, we
can't do this alone, and it makes us feel depressed and
dependent. The drivers get annoyed at us because it takes a long
time for us to get on, and they are not patient enough to wait.
They do not realize that disabled passengers are human beings
with the same rights as normal people. We pay for the bus, so we
want to be respected.

Many people do not realize that a disabled person has feelings
too; deep in our hearts we are hurt by the way we are treated. A
friend of mine in a wheelchair joined the open university, but at
examination time he had to think hard how to get to the
examination hall; there are a lot of steps and no special help is
given to disabled people.

I am a woman who needs social recognition. I know that people
are prejudiced and pity disabled people. A few people acknowledge
disability, but that does not guarantee we can live in a "normal
society" as normal people who can find love, affection,
education, and work in a company. I feel it's hard to get ahead
while people retain their opinion that disabled people are
useless and to be pitied.

Even though we realize that we are disabled and it is often
stressful for us to face the world, this does not mean that our
condition is the end of the world. I believe that disabled people
have to fight off the prejudices of people who do not care about
them and have to prove to society that we also have talents which
can be developed.

Disabled people are enslaved by shame and fear. We cannot
develop our talents when such emotions prevail. We need to
acknowledge that we also have something which we can be proud of.

There are some rehabilitation centers in Indonesia to
integrate disabled people into the community. However, after we
have been sent home, most of us find it difficult to adapt to our
old environment because society has not accepted us yet. So we
stay at home and pointlessly mull our fate. At home we get bored,
yet we become reluctant to meet people.

Disabled people also need love and marriage, but the problem
is that it is difficult for someone with a disability to get
married. In rehabilitation centers marriage is common but outside
people are surprised to see disabled people as married couples.

There is another problem. Disabled people can work in the
rehabilitation center where they have been rehabilitated, but job
opportunities are limited. Most of us cannot apply to big
companies because of our condition, although a few disabled
people do succeed.

There are light and severe disabilities. It is easy for people
with a light disability to perform daily activities, but not for
more severe cases. We have to accept our condition and cannot do
anything to earn a better living, because out strength is
limited. Our future is therefore more difficult than those with a
light disability. In our lives there is less hope for is to reach
our dreams and goals.

I quit my job even though I liked it very much. I have been
able to live with my disability, but there are still many
disabled people who need money to integrate into the community.

There are some disabled people who need special attention. Our
talents need to be developed to help us reach our dreams and
goals. There are many disabled people who have talents for art,
science, or languages. They need funds and acknowledgment from
society and support from their family.

Right now Indonesia needs young pioneers who can take an
active part in developing the country. It would be good if
disabled people could participate. If disabled people work, they
are less dependent on others.

As long as disabled people do not have enough education, they
won't be able to realize their dreams. They just think of their
disability, and accept their destiny, even though deep in their
hearts they want to be released from fear.

Should people like me give up and accept destiny? Or should we
fight social prejudice and fight for our dreams and goals?

I wonder what the future holds for disabled people in
Indonesia?