"Turns out there was nothing for me": The Struggle of a Visually Impaired Job Seeker at a Job Fair

Sounds of footsteps and voices filled the hall as dozens of company stalls lined the arena at the Jakarta Utara Youth Sports Hall on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. Job seekers moved between recruiters, carrying folders of application letters at the Jakarta Utara Job Fair 2026.

In the midst of the bustle, Fandi, 40, stood near the entrance several times, waiting for confirmation from the organisers. The visually impaired man had come with the hope that there would be vacancies suitable for people with disabilities. ‘That’s why I’m asking here, you know, is there any vacancy for people with disabilities? But so far there hasn’t been any confirmation. If there really aren’t any, I’ll go home,’ he told Kompas.com.

Not long after, Fandi did manage to enter the fair to seek information directly from several company stalls. But after wandering around, he left without any good news. ‘There wasn’t anything for me after all,’ he said.

For Dadang, attending job fairs isn’t new. In recent months he has repeatedly visited job fairs in various parts of Jakarta to seek new work. Previously, Dadang worked as a telemarketer at a private bank. However, his job ended in December 2025 following a workforce reduction. ‘I was terminated at the end of December 2025. They said there would be a staff reduction,’ he said. Since losing his job, he has continued to seek opportunities, visiting job fairs in West Jakarta and South Jakarta. Yet the results have been largely the same. ‘Job fairs, I’ve attended city after city. But it seems that for people with disabilities there aren’t many vacancies,’ he added. He says he frequently hears that vacancies for people with disabilities are not yet available.