Tens of Thousands of People with Disabilities in West Java Unemployed, PKS Formulates Solutions
More than 22,000 people with disabilities in West Java have not yet secured employment. According to the latest data, only approximately 6.5% of the total disabled population has obtained a job. The primary obstacle is not a lack of capability, but rather the lack of fair opportunities.
Nationally, the open unemployment rate for people with disabilities has reached 10.8%, a figure significantly higher than the national average. Furthermore, 17.85% of this group have never received formal education. While they possess equal rights, the current conditions are not equitable.
“We want this concern to move beyond mere attention and become real work. We must listen to, understand, and fight for the needs of our brothers and sisters with disabilities so that it becomes part of real policy directions and programmes,” said the Vice Chairman of the West Java Provincial DPRD, Iwan Suryawan, during the gathering of the PKS Pioneer Cadre Disability Family and the launch of Sahabat Inklusi PKS West Java (SAHABATIN) in Bandung on Sunday (30/8).
West Java is the province with the highest number of disabled workers placed nationally, reaching 252 people in 2024. However, this figure is small compared to the actual potential. The educational disparity between people with disabilities and those without remains the largest barrier. The majority of approximately 660,000 people with disabilities in Indonesia are only primary school graduates, while only about 40,000 hold a bachelor’s degree. As long as access to education and job opportunities remains unequal, their potential will continue to be suppressed.
Iwan Suryawan emphasised that this issue cannot be addressed through assumptions, but rather by listening directly to ensure policies are not applied indiscriminately. “We must not create programmes based on our own assumptions. We must ask them, hear their experiences, and understand what they truly need. The problem cannot be generalised; therefore, the approach must be humane and tailored to their needs,” stated the Chairman of DPW PKS West Java.
During the same event, the Head of the BPMRD Division of DPW PKS West Java, Dadan Suryanegara, explained that SAHABATIN is designed as a communication space to better document the needs of people with disabilities and their families. In this forum, three divisions—BPMRD, Boemkraf, and Bidnaker of DPW PKS West Java—participated in a panel to discuss real opportunities for empowerment, ranging from access to the creative economy to employment opportunities.
“We want to build a habit of listening. Once their needs are well-mapped, it will be easier for us to determine which steps and programmes are truly required. We hope the voices we hear today do not merely remain notes—these aspirations must be used to drive more responsive policies,” asserted Dadan.
He also reminded that the circle of support needs to be broader than just the individuals with disabilities themselves. “Those in need of support are not only the individuals with disabilities, but also their families. There are parents, partners, and family members who provide daily care. They also require access to information, capacity building, and support networks.”