President Jokowi Affirms Commitment in Protecting Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities

President Jokowi virtually delivers his remarks at the commemoration of the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Thursday (3/12). (Photo by: captured from Ministry of Social Affairs’ Youtube channel)

Commemoration of the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a momentum to affirm our concern and to strengthen solidarity in protecting persons with disabilities. There should be a paradigm shift from charity-based to human rights-based paradigm.

The statement was made by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when delivering his remarks at virtual commemoration of the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities aired on Ministry of Social Affairs’ Youtube channel, on Thursday (3/12). For the record, this year’s IDPD adopted a theme “Not All Disabilities Are Visible”.

The Head of State said that the Government continues to increase equality, opportunity, and accessibility of persons with disabilities, including their access to education, healthcare, and job opportunity. The Government also built disable-friendly infrastructure to create an environment that does not limit persons with disabilities.

To realize it, the Government has issued several regulations and policies. The President also affirmed that he will issue other regulations if it is needed.

However, he reminded all that the regulations as legal umbrella must be supported with good implementation. “Good regulation and plan are useless without well implementation. Implementation is the key,”
he said.

For that reason, the President added that the Government’s next duty is to ensure that all regulations can be well-executed and implemented. Thus, the benefits can be directly felt by persons with disabilities.

He went on to say that the National Disabilities Commission (KND) as an independent, non-structural agency which is directly responsible to the president, plays strategic role in realizing the Government’s commitment to disabled persons.

“I expect the KND can be a foundation to accelerate the implementation of Indonesia’s visions for persons with disabilities,” he firmly said.

Furthermore, the President called on all ministries, institutions, and regional governments to be proactive and supportive, for example by synchronizing national database of persons with disabilities, involving them in drawing up the National Action Plan and Regional Action Plan, and supporting the implementation so that the action plans can run effectively and the benefits can reach them.

“The Government programs must reach all persons with disabilities,” he said.

For the record, the Government has so far issued six Government Regulations and two Presidential Regulations in the efforts to increase equality, opportunity, and accessibility of persons with disabilities which is also a mandate of Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities.

In 2019, the Government issued Government Regulation Number 52 of 2019 on Social Welfare for Persons with Disabilities and Government Regulation Number 70 of 2019 on Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Respect, Protection, and Fulfillment of Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In 2020, the Government issued Government Regulation Number 13 of 2020 on Adequate Accommodation for Students with Disabilities, Government Regulation Number 39 of 2020 on Adequate Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities in Judicial Process, Government Regulation Number 42 of 2020 on Accessibility to Housing and Public Services, and Protection from Disasters for Persons with Disabilities, and Government Regulation Number 60 of 2020 on the Disability Service Unit on Manpower.

In addition, the President has signed Presidential Regulation Number 67 of 2020 on Terms and Procedures of the Awards for Respecting, Protecting, and Fulfilling the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2020 on the National Disabilities Commission (KND). (FID/UN) (RAS/MMB)