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Ignorant and useless is what people with disabilities are saying of the House of Representatives and the law it passed on Tuesday requiring handicapped pedestrians to wear special signs.

Ariani, 63, who is legally blind, said lawmakers had no idea about the needs of the disabled. Wearing such signs, she said, would only make the disabled feel discriminated against.

“Why would they propose such regulation? They didn’t even ask our opinion before discussing the issue,” she said.

“I don’t think a man on a wheelchair needs a sign that says he’s using a chair.”

An article in the new Traffic and Road Transportation Law passed by the House stated, “Handicapped pedestrians are obliged to wear special signs that can be easily recognized by other road users.” Lawmakers said the article aimed to protect handicapped pedestrians, but activists have called it discriminatory.

Ariani said she and many other people with disabilities strongly opposed the law, saying the required sign they have to wear would have zero contribution to their daily lives.

“What we ask is for access to public areas, freedom of mobility,” she said. “The government should think about that instead of labeling us. Our rights to enjoy public transportation and traffic are being ignored by the government.”

Purti Muki Reksoprodjo, chairwoman of the Indonesian Society for the Care of Disabled Children (YPAC), said the government’s efforts at helping the handicapped were misdirected. Instead of labeling those with special needs, she said the government should instead ensure accessibility for the disabled in public areas.

“Why should they be labeled? I don’t think that is necessary. I disagree with the idea,” Purti said, adding that she was not convinced the sign would make a significant improvement in handicapped people’s freedom of movement.

The government, Purti said, still had much to do to provide better access for the disabled, and the new law did not provide a solution.

Ariani said there was poor access for the disabled on main transportation hubs such as bus stops, bridges and pedestrian crossings. “Most of our buildings have no tile markers and ramps for wheelchair,” she said. “And the blind cannot cross streets independently because of the lack of signs that can tell them the light has turned red or green.”

Ariani said she, along with other disabled people, would urge the government to reconsider the law, “and to at least listen to our opinion and suggestions.”

Darmaningtyas, chairman of the Institute of Transportation Studies, said the passage of the law showed that the government favored motorists over pedestrians.

“The new law marks the triumph of the automotive industry,” he said. “It prioritizes motor vehicles and forces pedestrians to make way.”

In developed countries, Darmaningtyas said, it was the other way around — the rights of pedestrians and non-motorized transports were considered ahead of motor vehicles.