YPAC struggles to help disabled children
By Rita A. Widiadana
JAKARTA (JP): Doddy, not his real name, always dreams that one day he will be able to play his favorite sport, basket ball.
He collects NBA attire, Michael Jordan posters, and never misses a single basket ball match on TV. But unless there is a miracle, his dream will not come true as long as he lives. He can't walk, let alone run to catch the ball or jump to dunk it in the ring.
At the age of 15, he is almost totally paralyzed and has to use a wheelchair and braces to support his body. He cannot move his legs because they were affected by the cerebral palsy he suffered from during his childhood.
Along with dozens of other disabled children, Doddy is now enrolled at a special school and workshop for disabled children on Jl. Hang Lekiu III, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
The 3,800 square-meter school, run by the Jakarta-branch of a foundation for disabled children, Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat (YPAC), is a paradise for children with cerebral palsy, a disorder in which muscular control and coordination are impaired due to brain damage. After school hours, Doddy and some of his friends will undergo various kinds of therapy.
YPAC was first established by Dr. Soeharso in Surakarta, Central Java, in l948 to help war victims. The foundation now has 16 branch offices nationwide.
The Jakarta office YPAC chairperson, Hernani Sujani, said recently that the foundation's goal is to help disabled children have access to better education and medication. When the foundation first opened its Jakarta branch in l954, the city had no schools for disabled children.
"These children needed special treatments that could not be implemented at public schools or hospitals. It was difficult for the government to provide adequate facilities during the post-war era. Somebody had to take over the job," Sujani recalled.
Mrs. Soemarno Sastroatmodjo, wife of the then Jakarta governor Dr. Soemarno Sastroatmodjo, together with her close friends from the Association of Doctors' Wives pledged to operate a special school for the disabled from her small garage in Central Jakarta.
After years struggling with financial woes, YPAC Jakarta is now growing into a high-profile organization which fosters the welfare of disabled children in the city.
"We still need a lot of funds to improve our facilities and we are working extremely hard to raise money from various sources," Sujani said. Currently, YPAC receives donations from the government, the Dharmais foundation, which is chaired by President Soeharto, and a handful of regular donors.
But these donations hardly meet monthly operational costs of about Rp 20 million (approximately US$5,800). "We are lucky that some employees are paid by the government. The others are volunteers," said Sujani, herself a volunteer who has dedicated herself to YPAC for more than 30 years.
The foundation has to limit itself to prioritizing education for children with poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy due to limited funds.
Education facilities are categorized at four levels: pre- school, elementary school, secondary and high school levels.
Sujono Hendromartono, the school's headmaster, said that some of the children have a normal intelligence level, others suffer from mild to serious mental retardation. Educational programs are classified to fit the children's IQ level.
"A number of graduates with normal IQ have enrolled at some universities in Jakarta and other cities," Hendromartono said proudly.
Skills
For those unable to seek higher education due to their mental and physical disabilities, YPAC provides training to equip these students with various skills needed to enter the workforce such as computing, gardening and sewing.
The foundation also has a production unit, which is a joint operation between YPAC and the business community, to introduce the disabled to the employment world.
About 16 students are now working for Tokai, a match factory, producing matches. "The unit is aimed at giving real opportunities to the disabled to develop their skills as well as to boost their self-confidence and sense of pride," said Sujani.
Their work is often far below the required standard. "That doesn't really matter. What is more important for these children is the sense that they can do something useful and earn some money from their venture," maintained Sujani.
She thanked the companies that have trusted her students to become involved in their businesses and hopes that the business community will pay more attention to disabled people.
Apart from education, YPAC offers various medical facilities and therapies for children with cerebral palsy such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, musical therapy and hydrotherapy.
"None of these therapies are cures. They are given to these children to nurture their potential despite their disabilities," she said.
Musical therapy, for example, is a blend of play and game.
"Children learn about sound and tunes in a jolly atmosphere. They can sing or play musical instruments. Such activities are important for these kids who are emotionally and physically fragile," said an instructor.
Bad mood
Due to their impairment, children with cerebral palsy are frequently trapped in bad moods. "Music has a strong healing power. It can make the children happy," he said.
In addition to these facilities, YPAC also runs a day-care center for infants and toddlers. The foundation also takes care of five orphans at its sheltered home.
Socialization is another of YPAC's programs to introduce them to society. In cooperation with another institution, Yayasan Gembira Ria Siswa Terpadu, YPAC organizes various social activities for these children.
Visiting the post office, museums, markets, recreational centers and other public places can enrich these children's lives.
"The children will get a lot of information and experience from such activities, which are also intended to educate society," she said.
Many people still regard the disabled as people with contagious diseases and as burdens. "People must get used to seeing disabled persons hanging around in public places because they have equal rights to use public facilities," she insisted.
It is unfortunate that equality is rarely implemented in regulations or policies. Discrimination against the disabled still exists. "How many public buildings in Jakarta provide facilities for the disabled such as ramps or special elevators? Do we have a bus shelter for these persons? The answers are pathetic," Sujani noted.
Rani (not her real name), a graduate of YPAC and a university graduate, has had to quit her job several times because she can't use stairs.
Other problems await. People, especially parents of the disabled kids, always expect an institution like YPAC to create miracles for their kids.
"These parents keep hoping that we can cure their kids or we can improve their intelligence levels. Many of them force their children to attend formal classes without considering their mental and physical condition," Sujani said.
Many parents find it hard to accept their children's condition and feel embarrassed to have disabled offspring.
"They send their kids here, but they rarely show up at any parent-teacher meetings," she claimed. In fact, she said, the involvement of parents is very important for the development of disabled children.
"How can people pay attention to disabled children while their own parents show no affection at all to their kids," she said.