The
Frequently Forgotten People
Antoni Tsaputra, HE HAS A DISABILITY AND IS A
GRADUATE OF GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA
Sumber
: JAKARTA POST, 10 Desember 2011
I
zipped along a smooth footpath on my power wheelchair to the nearest busway to
catch a bus to my university campus. I promptly went to the bus time table to
find out what time the next bus would arrive.
All of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hi matey, going to Uni? The bus will be here in five minutes. Need any help?” The smiling gentleman in uniform always stays around to offer assistance to passengers who may need help like me.
Shortly, the 120 bus arrived. All other passengers, who had been waiting much longer than I, seemed to get ready to hop on the bus. However, they did not make any move — they all stood in line patiently behind me.
Then a lady driver opened the bus’ front automatic door. She smiled at and greeted me, “Morning, which side do you prefer sweetheart? Right or left?” “Right please, thank you,” I said. Having organized the side of bus at which I would be seated, she got off the bus, still smiling, and prepared a built-in ramp for my wheelchair to climb on. I got on and proceeded to the vacant right side of that comfy bus which was designed for disabled passengers like me with a sign on its wall that read ”please vacate this seat for disabled, elders and expectant women”.
Having asked which stop was mine and checked that I was already seated securely, the driver instructed other passengers to hop on the bus. I can safely presume that you will already have guessed that this incident did not take place in this beloved country. It is merely a small fraction of the accommodation of people with disabilities that I enjoyed in another continent.
Indonesia has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This was a long-awaited moment for Indonesian people with disabilities because the ratification should mean more legal certainty in protecting the rights of people with disabilities. Sadly this will not be the case here in Indonesia.
The CRPD warrants not merely the right to accessibility. It encompasses much larger aspects of legal protection and guarantees in fulfilling the rights of people with disabilities in this country. Most importantly, CRPD demands that people with disabilities be involved in any decision-making process of national development.
What the government has done thus far to improve conditions for people with disabilities in this country is not something to be disparaged, especially the recent ratification of the UN convention. Nonetheless its implementation is not the sole responsibility of centra government.
Earlier this year, the Coordinating People’s Welfare Minister issued a decree to all local governments to allocate budgets and to create local ordinances for fulfilling the rights of people with disabilities.
A year has passed, however, and the decree has yet to receive positive responses from heads of local governments across the nation except for the Governor of East Kalimantan. If only all leaders and stakeholders shared his ideas of the importance of fully providing accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, Indonesia would soon be a better place for us all.
In this respect, the role of media in continuously educating and raising public awareness cannot be overlooked.
Recently, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed. A series of activities were held including a fun walk campaign in which 1,000 people with disabilities as well as domestic and international volunteers marched to call for accessibility and full recognition of people with disabilities.
However, this massive movement seemed to be less attractive to media coverage than other issues such as the election of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders, the bridge collapse in Kutai Kartanegara, International AIDS Day or the Go-green campaign.
Presumably, disability is not a “sexy” enough issue to gain full “Day” coverage. Annual observance of Disability Day or other ceremonials are no less important in raising public awareness of this issue.
Nevertheless, what people with disabilities in this country truly expect and need is real action to remove all physical and social barriers as well as totally inclusive policies in all sectors.
We have been waiting for far too long for real action, not just rhetoric, promises or plans. Improvement or provision of accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities should be a nationwide movement with massive media campaigns.
Without such a move, all ideals and plans to improve accessibility for “us” will likely soon vanish and again we will be forgotten, at least until the next annual ceremonial activities, due to other emerging issues being considered more important.
Are we, at best, to be left alone as forgotten citizens in this country struggling to deal with all the physical and social hindrances that we have been used to facing day after day? ●
All of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hi matey, going to Uni? The bus will be here in five minutes. Need any help?” The smiling gentleman in uniform always stays around to offer assistance to passengers who may need help like me.
Shortly, the 120 bus arrived. All other passengers, who had been waiting much longer than I, seemed to get ready to hop on the bus. However, they did not make any move — they all stood in line patiently behind me.
Then a lady driver opened the bus’ front automatic door. She smiled at and greeted me, “Morning, which side do you prefer sweetheart? Right or left?” “Right please, thank you,” I said. Having organized the side of bus at which I would be seated, she got off the bus, still smiling, and prepared a built-in ramp for my wheelchair to climb on. I got on and proceeded to the vacant right side of that comfy bus which was designed for disabled passengers like me with a sign on its wall that read ”please vacate this seat for disabled, elders and expectant women”.
Having asked which stop was mine and checked that I was already seated securely, the driver instructed other passengers to hop on the bus. I can safely presume that you will already have guessed that this incident did not take place in this beloved country. It is merely a small fraction of the accommodation of people with disabilities that I enjoyed in another continent.
Indonesia has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This was a long-awaited moment for Indonesian people with disabilities because the ratification should mean more legal certainty in protecting the rights of people with disabilities. Sadly this will not be the case here in Indonesia.
The CRPD warrants not merely the right to accessibility. It encompasses much larger aspects of legal protection and guarantees in fulfilling the rights of people with disabilities in this country. Most importantly, CRPD demands that people with disabilities be involved in any decision-making process of national development.
What the government has done thus far to improve conditions for people with disabilities in this country is not something to be disparaged, especially the recent ratification of the UN convention. Nonetheless its implementation is not the sole responsibility of centra government.
Earlier this year, the Coordinating People’s Welfare Minister issued a decree to all local governments to allocate budgets and to create local ordinances for fulfilling the rights of people with disabilities.
A year has passed, however, and the decree has yet to receive positive responses from heads of local governments across the nation except for the Governor of East Kalimantan. If only all leaders and stakeholders shared his ideas of the importance of fully providing accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, Indonesia would soon be a better place for us all.
In this respect, the role of media in continuously educating and raising public awareness cannot be overlooked.
Recently, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed. A series of activities were held including a fun walk campaign in which 1,000 people with disabilities as well as domestic and international volunteers marched to call for accessibility and full recognition of people with disabilities.
However, this massive movement seemed to be less attractive to media coverage than other issues such as the election of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders, the bridge collapse in Kutai Kartanegara, International AIDS Day or the Go-green campaign.
Presumably, disability is not a “sexy” enough issue to gain full “Day” coverage. Annual observance of Disability Day or other ceremonials are no less important in raising public awareness of this issue.
Nevertheless, what people with disabilities in this country truly expect and need is real action to remove all physical and social barriers as well as totally inclusive policies in all sectors.
We have been waiting for far too long for real action, not just rhetoric, promises or plans. Improvement or provision of accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities should be a nationwide movement with massive media campaigns.
Without such a move, all ideals and plans to improve accessibility for “us” will likely soon vanish and again we will be forgotten, at least until the next annual ceremonial activities, due to other emerging issues being considered more important.
Are we, at best, to be left alone as forgotten citizens in this country struggling to deal with all the physical and social hindrances that we have been used to facing day after day? ●
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar