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New Rules Offer Fresh Hope For Jakarta’s Disabled Citizens
Dofa Fasila & Fidelis E. Satriastanti | December 08, 2011

A pedestrian passes a sewer project near Jalan Sudirman in Jakarta on Wednesday. Ongoing construction has raised safety concerns: last month, the body of a woman was found at the bottom of an open drain, where it was believed she fell to her death. (JG Photo/Safir Makki) A pedestrian passes a sewer project near Jalan Sudirman in Jakarta on Wednesday. Ongoing construction has raised safety concerns: last month, the body of a woman was found at the bottom of an open drain, where it was believed she fell to her death. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)
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Jakarta on Wednesday unveiled a new regional regulation that requires buildings and transportation facilities to accommodate the disabled and assures them access to health services and jobs.

“With the issuance of the regional regulation number 10 of 2011, Jakarta has become the first province with a regional regulation for the disabled,” Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said. “Hopefully this step can be followed by other provinces.”

Speaking at a gathering of 2,000 people with disabilities at the Ancol recreational park in North Jakarta to mark the unveiling of the new regulation, Fauzi said all offices and institutions under him must begin to meet the requirements of the new regulation.

“This all must be contained in programs set to be undertaken in 2012,” he said.

He called on all institutions to involve organizations of people with disabilities in the process of preparing the programs.

He said that in 2012, all buildings, especially public ones, and public transportation should be able to accommodate the disabled.

“In the health sector, authorities are also providing facilities,” he said, adding that it had already begun the work by addressing the needs of blind people.

Dimas, 24, who was present at the event, welcomed the governor’s plan.

He said he hoped more measures would be taken by city authorities to help people with disabled even more.

“Hopefully the government will continue to assist efforts by the disabled to progress,” said Dimas who is blind, citing various life skills as an example of what the government could help to provide.

Aria Indrawati, a spokeswoman for Yayasan Mitra Netra, a foundation for the blind, said she hoped that the government follow up on putting the regulation into effect by monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness.

“Its implementation has to be supervised,” Aria said. “The regulation should carry punishment and sanctions.”

Attention should also be given to organizations that provide services to the disabled, Aria said. Equipment required by people with disabilities should also be addressed, she said.

“For the blind, for example, the issue of books is not covered,” she said.

“They come to us to get books; we raise funds for them.”

The capital is estimated to have among its population at least 21,000 people with disabilities, with about 19,000 of them living in poverty.

According to Triwisaksana, deputy chairman of the city council, the regulation requires companies in Jakarta hire people with a disability for at least 1 percent of its workforce. No further details of the regulation were given.

“Now, there will no longer be companies rejecting disabled citizens applying for work. ... They have to abide by the law,” Triwisaksana said.

The city will also form an agency for the protection of the disabled, he added.

Sri Utami, who heads the Social Affairs Ministry’s social rehabilitation department, said her agency had entered into cooperation with at least 50 companies to provide employment under their corporate social responsibility programs.

On Sunday, first lady Ani Yudhoyono said all companies throughout the country should provide more opportunities for disabled people.