The disabled demand equal treatment in education

The disabled demand equal treatment in education

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A group of disabled people have demanded that they be given equal
treatment in education and rehabilitation that enables them to
live their lives normally within society.

"The disabled people are an inseparable part of the community,
so their education and rehabilitation activities should be
integrated within the general public," Ariani Abdul Mun'im,
chairwoman of the Indonesian Disabled Women's Association
(HWPCI), said here on Tuesday.

She said that giving handicapped people excessive attention in
their rehabilitation programs would further isolate them from the
normal community environment.

Such treatment will consequently make people insensitive and
ignorant of the local disabled people, she said, adding that it
would not change their perceptions that the handicapped are
helpless and a burden to the community.

Ariani said that public ignorance of the disabled had made it
difficult for them to gain greater access to education, jobs and
other social rights.

Ariani made the remarks at the launch of a book entitled The
National and International Laws on Disabled People. The book is a
compilation of 41 national laws and three international laws,
which guarantee the accessibility of the disabled to all aspects
of life.

She said the disabled should be allowed to study in public
schools along with able-bodied students, arguing that special
schools are only needed for them at the elementary level, to
prepare them for independence at higher levels of education.

Although the rights of the disabled are recognized by
Indonesian law, they frequently face isolation and other
unfavorable treatment from the public.

Furthermore, the government has only allocated a small amount
of funds to finance education and rehabilitation programs for the
disabled, she said.

"Ministerial decree No. 43/1998, issued by the Ministry of
Manpower, stipulates that state and private enterprises must
employ at least one disabled person in every 100 workers," she
said, adding that, in reality, most companies ignored the law and
were not punished.

Ariani said the Ministry of National Education has issued a
regulation allowing handicapped students to study at public
schools.

She called on the government and other related authorities to
encourage and stimulate public awareness about helping disabled
people.

"Training is needed for communities to learn how to help
disabled people," she said.

However, Ariani stressed that special schools and
rehabilitation centers are still needed to help people with
severe disabilities and provide them with essential skills.