Presidential Staffer Angkie Yudistia: All Kinds of Disabilities Must be Accommodated

Special Staffer to the President Angkie Yudistia acts as keynote speaker at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities Workshop with a theme of “The Role of the Environment in Supporting Mental Health”, at the Gedhong Pracimosono, Kepatihan Complex, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Wednesday (11/11). (Photo by: PR/Jay)

The rights of persons with all kinds of disabilities must be accommodated, Special Staffer to the President Angkie Yudistia said.

“Through a spirit of inclusiveness, the programs that will be realized are expected to focus on respecting and fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities, fulfilling the rights that impact on their productivity,” Angkie said as the keynote speaker at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities Workshop with a theme of “The Role of the Environment in Supporting Mental Health”, at the Gedhong Pracimosono, Kepatihan Complex, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Wednesday (11/11).

According to her, the spirit of inclusiveness is vital for today’s administration in realizing Advanced Indonesia by 2045. To achieve it, she added, some strategies of human resource development that can be implemented include provision of adequate basic services and social protection for all walks of life, improvement in training (vocation) education, stimulation of science and technology, and development of characters.

The Presidential Staffer said that data from the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) shows that the number of persons with disabilities in Indonesia reached 37.58 million people or accounting for 14.2% of the total population. Therefore, she expressed hope that all kinds of disabilities will be accommodated by all parties.

“Therefore, it is important for all of us to spread a clear message to the public that all forms of disability must be accommodated by all parties without exception whether the one that is visible or not physically visible,” she said.

Angkie also expressed hope that with the holding of this workshop, stakeholders can discuss and plan activities as well as concrete actions that directly benefit persons with disabilities.

On the occasion, Chairperson of the Indonesian Clinical Psychology Association Indria L. Gamayanti stated that there is no real health without mental health. “Mental health is characterized by a psychological well-being (balance between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors), realizing that we have abilities, ability to cope with life stress, ability to work productively, and ability to contribute in groups or environments,” she said.

This workshop is part of a series of activities organized by Angkie in commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities that falls every 3 December. Three workshops are slated to be held in the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Magelang, Central Java. (DNS/UN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Muhardi