Accessibility and Facilities for Disabled People

Indonesia has finally ratified the United NationsConvention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, although it became a signatory to the Convention in 2007. The convention aims to protect and ensure equal treatment,human rights and fundamental freedom for disabled people. The House of Representatives plenary session, chaired by Pramono Anung, ratified the Convention by passingthe Bill on the Rights of Disabled People.

Pramono Anung, adeputy speaker of the House of Representatives noted that the House will need to make some changes now. “Following the enactment of this Bill [on the Rights of Disabled People], I orderthis public house (read: House of Representatives building) to be equipped with facilities for disabled people. Not by buildinga new building, but just by providing facilities for disabled people,” said Pramono in the plenary meeting room, Tuesday (18/10).

Underthe Bill, the State is obliged to protect people with disabilities. For example, Article 9, on the accessibility for disabled people, requires theState to take measuresto identify and eliminate access difficultiesin buildings, roads, transportation facilities, and other facilities, including schools, housing, health facilities, and work places.

Article 9 point (2) (d) and (e) even affirms that contracting partiesshall take appropriate measures to provide: Braille signsthatareeasily readable and understandable in public places and other public facilities;assistance and direct helpers, including guides, professional readersand sign languagetranslatorsto make public buildings and facilities moreaccessible.

Deputy chairman of Commission VIII, Chairun Nisa hopes the government will familiarize the public with this Bill soon after it issigned by the President. In addition, this politician from the Functional Group (Golkar) Party also expected government to immediately prepare implementing regulations for this Bill. “The purpose is to implement this Bill effectively in the near future,” she said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marty Natalegawa hasalreadyprepared for someof the provisions of the convention, which relateto the civil rights of disabled people,such as certainty about accessibility. So these provisions canbe fulfilled immediately by government. However,thegovernment will fulfill other obligations gradually.

“Partsof the convention related to the civil rights [of the disabled people] should be immediately fulfilled. However, other rights related to economic and cultural rights will be fulfilled in stages,” he stated.

In addition to civil rights, theBill also regulates economic, social, and cultural rights of the disabled people. For example, the state is required to protect and foster the right to work. Todo this, the state can promote opportunitiesfor disabled people to have their own job, become entrepreneurs, develop cooperatives, and behiredby thegovernmentsector.

It should be noted that thegovernment issued Law No. 4 of 1997 regarding Disabled People. This law regulates, the right to have decent work and earn a living, the right to accessibility, an equal right for self-development, and other topics. Moreover, this law also obliged the government and public to realize the rights of disabled people.

(Ali Salamande / Josephine Hadiwijaya)