MPR Calls for Concrete Steps to Boost Employment for People with Disabilities

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat has urged for concrete and collaborative steps to increase workforce participation among people with disabilities, asserting that regulations alone are not enough. She stated that efforts to boost employment rates for people with disabilities cannot be achieved merely by introducing regulations, but require concrete and collaborative action to overcome existing obstacles. Moerdijat noted that the government has strengthened protections through Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, which mandates employment quotas for people with disabilities that must be consistently fulfilled. She added that the sanctions and rewards outlined in the Minister of Manpower Regulation No. 8 of 2026 must be applied effectively to encourage compliance. According to Moerdijat, regulations will be insufficient if structural and social barriers preventing people with disabilities from obtaining work remain high. She also encouraged the transformation of infrastructure to be more disability-friendly, from accessible physical and digital work environments to more inclusive recruitment systems. Moerdijat emphasised that genuine collaboration between the education sector, businesses, government, and society is needed to eliminate disparities in employment opportunities for all citizens, including people with disabilities.