“With this event, I’d like to invite more people to continue fighting for the rights of people with disabilities and eliminating discrimination against disabled individuals,” Juliari said at the event.

Juliari, who once headed the Indonesian Motorcycle Association, encouraged an inclusive attitude toward individuals with disabilities, calling on other governmental organizations as well as players in the private sector.

The ministry’s campaign to promote disability rights is taking place against the backdrop of discriminatory attitudes and ignorance surrounding disabilities. The ministry has attempted to achieve equality in the workplace by trying to end discrimination in the recruitment and hiring process. More than 2 percent of people at the ministry have a disability.

"An official in the ministry’s echelon II has a disability,” said Juliari. “That proves that disabled people also can deliver excellent performances and we shouldn’t underestimate them.”

Furthermore, Juliari said, one of the challenges in empowering disabled individuals was inadequate access to public facilities. Juliari highlighted there should be more facilities for persons with disabilities to help them navigate public spaces.

The ministry sought to promote the message of equality to a wider audience by holding a morning walk with disabled people. Besides improving physical fitness and invigorating the mind, the morning walk event aimed to build a sense of togetherness between disabled people and non-disabled people. The goal was aligned with the theme of 2019 International Disability Day in Indonesia: “Inclusive Indonesia, Excellent Disability”.

The ministry’s event promoting disability rights was expected to increase public awareness of equality for people with disabilities. "We must build an equal society together and make sure that none are left behind, including people with disabilities," Juliari said, who came to the event with his family.

In addition to joining the morning walk, Juliari also visited an exhibition that displayed aids and equipment for disabled people.

Moreover, people with disabilities also made the event more festive. Among them were Tan Miyat, a marching band from the Social Rehabilitation Center for Visually Impaired People (BRSPDSN); Melati, the Social Rehabilitation Center for Deaf People (BRSPDRW); and disabled stand-up comedian Dani Aditya.

It wasn’t only the entertaining performance from disabled people that made the event more special, there was also a lucky draw with many prizes including two mountain bikes from the Surya Kebangsaan Indonesia Foundation, three smartphones, and hundreds of souvenirs from insurance firm AXA Indonesia.

The event was attended by officials of the ministry, including the director general of social rehabilitation Edi Suharto, inspector general Dadang Iskandar, secretary-general Hartono Laras, head of the Research and Social Education Counseling Agency Syahabudin, director general of social empowerment Pepen Nazarudin, and director general of social protection and security Harry Hikmat. Furthermore, International Disability Day was also celebrated in many regions across Indonesia. The rights of disabled people are protected under Law No. 8/2016 on people with disabilities.

Popular

Ahok questions Agus' flood mitigation stance in first debate

K-pop group BTS to make comeback in February

Agus cash assistance plan slammed by Ahok, Anies