The Spirit of the Sidoarjo Regency Government Reaches Residents Through Wheelchair Aid

Bupati Sidoarjo Subandi said wheelchairs would continue to be distributed to residents in need. The regency government also actively goes to the field to ensure assistance reaches the target.

‘The initiative we are implementing today is a reflection of the commitment of the Sidoarjo Regency Government to pay attention to the community that is less able, including those living in substandard housing and individuals who require wheelchair assistance,’ Subandi said on Tuesday (19 May 2026).

He stressed that the program is not just about distributing aid, but also a form of government concern for the conditions of the people.

‘This wheelchair programme for those in need will continue to be provided. We will go around; when there is a resident who needs it, we must go down. Hopefully this help can ease their burden and that of their families,’ he added.

Meanwhile, head of the Sidoarjo Social Service Agency, R. Mharta Wara Kusuma, said the number of registered people with disabilities in the regency reached 29,245.

Of that number, 14,330 have already received assistive devices, while 14,915 still require similar aid.

‘We focus the aid for residents in extreme poverty in the Decile 1. The total number is 8,807,’ he said.

Mharta explained that the devices most commonly distributed were wheelchairs. In addition, the Social Service Agency also provided assistance for the visually impaired and hearing aids for the deaf.

‘The greatest number of people with disabilities receiving aids are wheelchair users. There are also those for the visually impaired, and hearing aids for the deaf. This is the Social Service’s priority so that it can cover, to some extent, the needs of the community,’ he explained.

To ensure the aid reaches the target, the Social Service Agency involved various social pillars, ranging from SLRT, volunteers to TKSK at the sub-district level, to perform direct field data collection.

‘They will collect data in the field and then propose, and ultimately be executed by the Sidoarjo Regency Government with the distribution of the aid,’ he said.

According to Mharta, the social aid programme is part of the spirit of the Sidoarjo Regency Government to continue helping vulnerable communities, especially those in extreme poverty.

‘The Regent has been outstanding, including the Sidoarjo Regency Government, which continues to care because there are still many people living in extreme poverty. This is a challenge for the government to keep going door-to-door to help the community,’ he concluded. (akd/ega)