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.