Indonesia’s Disability Policy Reform under the Jokowi Government: Progressive Legal Framework versus Half-hearted Inclusion

Closed

Antoni Tsaputra, Gianfranco Giuntoli, Damri

2024 International Quarterly for Asian Studies Vol. 55 Issue 2 Article Cited by 4 Quartile

Abstract

The ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the passage of Indonesia’s first national law based on disability rights, No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, have laid the groundwork for a paradigm shift in understanding and approaching disability in the country. Based on descriptive analysis and long-term observation, this article argues that advances in the legal frameworks that govern disability policies have yet to result in significant improvements in the lives of Indonesians with disabilities. A lack of budget commitment, regulatory discord, and insufficient awareness of disability rights in the public and private sectors all point to a half-hearted approach to disability inclusion. This article illustrates this argument by focusing on three crucial aspects of the realisation of human rights for people with disabilities in Indonesia: the rights to education, health and employment. © 2024, Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute. All rights reserved.

Affiliations

Faculty of Education, Department of Special Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia