during the last decade, Indonesia has seen steady progress in increasing per capita income and the elimination of poverty. However, the country faces difficulties in achieving equal growth. The poverty rate is still quite high and inequalities, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable people, including people with disabilities, still happens. They are often socially isolated and face discrimination in access to health, education and employment.
According to the Center of the Ministry of Social Affairs for the data and information (Pusdatin), the number of disabled people in Indonesia in 2010 reached 11,580,117 consisting of 3,474,035 with a visual impairment, 3010830 with physical disabilities, hearing impaired 2,547,626, 1,389,614 and 1,158,012 mentally disabled chronic disabilities. The figures are expected to increase in the coming times.
In response to injustice for people with disabilities, the local Padang Indonesian Association of People with Disabilities (PPDI) explores every means in his attempts to advocate for people with disabilities. One of its main efforts is to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in West Sumatra and Padang.
Antoni Tsaputra, the founder of the organization, says the effort has three goals; namely to promote the implementation of the CRPD in the inclusive regional development in West Sumatra and Padang, to sensitize policy makers / government officials, community and disabled people in Padang on disability rights as stipulated in the CRPD, and equip disabled people's organizations (DPOs) in the city of Padang with knowledge and skills on advocacy of the CRPD and other legal rights.
To achieve these objectives, the local Padang Indonesia Disabled People Association conducted four project activities: organizing a one day seminar on the meaning of the ratified CRPD and how to put implemented in the inclusive regional development in west Sumatra; conduct a focus group discussion (FGD) on the CRPD and the need for a local law on discrimination based on disability with the budget and the legal drafting committee of the local parliament in the city of Padang and local NGOs; create 500 information leaflets easier to read CRPD in Indonesian language and Minang; and conduct training of trainers (ToT) on the defense of the rights of the CRPD and other legal rights with the Board of PPDI PPDI Padang and West Sumatra.
After evaluating the activities, changes have been visible and identifiable in the DPD fields, community and local government. In the DPD, most disabled people in Padang and West Sumatra are not aware of national and international legal instruments that protect their rights. Now, they are aware of the CRPD and the national legal framework that protects the rights of disabled people. The UNCRPD is the "buzz word" for them. For example, members of the PPDI Payakumbuh District Board held a hearing with the local parliament and distributed the CRPD books to members of Parliament to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
At the community level, most people looked PSH as a charitable purpose and mainly addressed PSH with demeaning terminology such as " cacat '(crippled / disabled). Now, more people and local media in Padang use positive terminology to treat people with disabilities such as 'disabilitas instead. They can now see that disabled people can manage and run various seminars advocacy for training. He shows them that disabled people are able to do most things as long as they are given a chance.
PPDI
More radical changes take place in government. In ancient times, the Padang local government had only models of charity in their programs, such as distribution of mobility aids, prosthetics and financial incentives. Later, some departments and local government offices were aware of the importance of disability inclusion as mandated by the CRPD, seen in their efforts to involve and engage DPOs in their programs and activities. For example, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Padang Labours conducted a new activity together with PPDI to gather the skills and data based on the education of disabled people in 11 sub-districts of Padang, the Ministry of Transport has consulted PPDI Padang to provide accessibility of the new mass transit bus fleet to launch by year-end, and the Ministry of Education has invited representatives of PPDI Padang to be a member of the working group to develop implement inclusive education in Padang city.
During the implementation of the grant within the organization and the community, Antoni said, "The most important lesson we have learned in our community is that they realize our capacity when we present an activity. We need to always invite the media to this end. There should be more media coverage for our advocacy work. "
He further recalled," the work of solid team and similar perception between different DPOs and other organizations involved in the project is the very key to the success of our work. Develop and maintain close relationships with key figures in the government is also very important to facilitate our activities. "
In its continuing effort to disability rights, PPDI Padang gets a fresh blood with Australian Volunteers International (AVI) become his new partner While joining the parade of the international Day of disabled persons in December 2013 in last Padang, Eban Pollard, a volunteer AVI said. "the atmosphere was inclusive and it really showed how much is already done to improve the welfare and educate disabled in Padang. Although AVI volunteers worked with DPD in Cambodia, this is the first time an Indonesian DPO AVI host a volunteer. "
Representative AVI, Eban is involved in various activities designed and implemented by PPDI Padang. To expand its literacy in the Indonesian language for people with disabilities, it actively assists the formation of Indonesia Sign Language (Bisindo) and people with hearing impairments in western Sumatra. The trainer was Ms. Pinky, a motivational coach, one of the eight translators Bisindo in the country and most often appeared on TVRI translator. For the sake of capacity building, Eban and PPDI Padang organized English lessons for communication and conversation to its members, which is free. The course takes place every Saturday from 3-5PM at PPDI Padang office on Jl. Paus 10 Ulak Karang Padang. The first meeting started on January 25, 2014.