Presidential Special Staff Promotes Equality for Persons with Disabilites

Special Staff to the President Angkie Yudistia

People with disabilities have equal position, rights and roles in the community, Special Staff to the President Angkie Yudistia has said.

“Persons with disabilities are part of Indonesian society who have the same position, rights, obligations and roles as other Indonesians. Thus as a human being, we have an obligation to respect the rights of persons with disabilities,” Angkie said during a commemoration of the 2020 International Disability Day, Thursday (3/12) in Jakarta.

She explained that based on the National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) from the Central Statistics Agency, the number of people with disabilities in Indonesia in 2018 reached 37.58 million people or 14.2 percent of Indonesia’s population.

As a form of support for people with disabilities in Indonesia, added Angkie, the Government has enacted various implementing regulations from Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities.

“From 2019 to the end of 2020, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has passed 6 Government Regulations and 2 Presidential Regulations related to persons with disabilities. These various laws and regulations are the legal basis for implementing any future inclusive development agenda,” she said.

According to her, in line with the international law on human rights, which are based on “To Respect, To Protect, To Fulfil”, the entire implementation of these regulations cannot be separated from the principle of respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities.

“The paradigm towards the issue of persons with disabilities has changed, it is no longer seen as an object of recipients of assistance (charity-based), but as a subject and part of national development that must be viewed and respected from a human right-based perspective,” she said.

This year’s International Disability Day carries the theme “Not All Disabilities Are Visible”.

“The International Disability Day this year carries the big theme of rebuilding a better, more inclusive, more accessible and sustainable life following the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

The International Disability Day itself was determined based on the UN General Assembly resolution.

“The UN General Assembly in 1992 passed a resolution which set 3 December as the International Disability Day,” said Angkie, adding that the commemoration aims to promote the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development as well as to raise awareness of the persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social and economic life. (TGH/UN) (EST/LW)