Yogyakarta prepares training for people with disabilities to boost productivity

The Yogyakarta City Government is ready to provide training for people with disabilities so they can become more productive in creating work with economic value.

Mayor of Yogyakarta Hasto Wardoyo said on Thursday that the government cannot simply meet basic needs, provide medicines or social assistance, but must also help people with disabilities develop their abilities and remain productive.

“The government must not only look after vegetative needs, in the sense of enabling a person to serve their own life, but also how to make them productive,” he said while attending the Integrated Special Health Insurance (Jamkesus) event in Yogyakarta.

The mayor considers training to be one of the important forms of support that needs to be provided, given that physical limitations do not always mean a person loses the ability to work or create.

He said many participants in the Integrated Jamkesus still have the ability to work and create. Of the 78 people, around 50 are still productive enough to carry out economic activities despite experiencing physical limitations.

“Ladies and gentlemen, all of you can certainly work, and your work may even be far better than that of healthy people with normal fingers,” he said.

According to him, various activities carried out by people with disabilities have economic potential that can be developed if they receive the right support. For this reason, he is encouraging the work of people with disabilities to gain wider marketing space.

“The Yogyakarta City Government is open to helping market products, including by utilising the work of people with disabilities for the city government’s needs,” he said.

On that occasion, the mayor also stressed the importance of the continuity of the Integrated Jamkesus service, so that participants who undergo examinations and assessments will still receive follow-up in the form of assistive devices according to their needs.

Hasto hopes the process can be followed up immediately so that the required assistive devices can be used as soon as possible, because all residents must receive attention in the fulfilment of their rights, including people with disabilities.