Limited Job and Education Opportunities for People with Mental Disabilities

DEPOK, KOMPAS.com – Discrimination against people with mental and intellectual disabilities remains a serious problem in Indonesia. This inequality not only limits their current rights but also directly impacts their future, including access to education, employment, and healthcare services. The Chair of the National Commission on Disabilities (KND) of Indonesia, Dr. Dante Rigmalia, M.Pd., revealed that the group with mental and developmental disabilities still faces unequal treatment in various aspects of life. “The mental disability group, whether psychosocial or developmental, still experiences very deep discrimination,” she explained at the Autism Care Festival 2026 in Depok, West Java, on Saturday (4/4/2026). “For registering jobs or becoming civil servants, the disabilities allowed to take the test are only two: physical disabilities and sensory disabilities. Then, intellectual disabilities and mental disabilities are not given opportunities,” she said. This condition shows a policy gap that causes some disability groups to not get equal opportunities. In fact, access to employment is one of the important factors in determining a person’s independence and quality of life in the future. This causes people with mental and intellectual disabilities to lag behind in many aspects of life. “As a result, access to healthcare services, education, employment, or employment rights all become left behind,” said Dante. The data presented shows that there are still many children who do not receive proper education rights. “There are many children with disabilities who do not go to school. Only 4 percent of school-age children receive education,” she revealed.