Courage to Fight for Equal Opportunities
While holding a brown envelope containing her curriculum vitae and educational background, as well as a job application, she walked toward the Festival of the Young Empowered, Working and Creative Movement (Garuda Jaya).
A number of extraordinary school students speak sign language during the Garuda Jaya Festival at Gedung Sate, Bandung City, Thursday (14/7/2022).
It is not an easy matter for people with disabilities to find work according to their expertise. Although stigma still surrounds them, they never stop fighting for equal opportunities.
The cloudy sky in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday (14/7/2022) contrasted with Riska’s (21) bright enthusiasm. Riska, who is deaf, from Pagarsih, Bandung looked so enthusiastic as she arrived at the Gedung Sate Plaza.
While holding a brown envelope containing her curriculum vitae and educational background, as well as a job application, she walked toward the Festival of the Young Empowered, Working and Creative Movement (Garuda Jaya). There, she and many other disabled people were awaited by dozens of booths from industrial business players to specialist schools for the disabled (SLB) in West Java.
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Riska, who was accompanied by her sister Ismaya (27), went straight to CV Triptych's booth. This company oversees the Bumi Semilir Hotel and Resto and Triptych Garden Art Coffee in Parongpong, West Bandung.
For a year, she learned to operate a computer and multimedia skills.
The booth attendant's friendly smile greeted Riska. They received her envelope and placed it above similar job applications. Using sign language, Riska said she had just graduated from a job training center managed by State SLB Cicendo in Bandung. For a year, she learned to operate a computer and multimedia skills.
Ismaya was happy to see her sister look so excited. That day, Ismaya’s worries that it would be difficult for Riska to be independent slowly melted away. Whatever the result of the job applications, Ismaya said, Riska's courage to live an equal life was the most important thing.
Ismaya was also relieved to see many booths of SLBs from a number of areas in West Java taking part in the festival. Children with disabilities showed a variety of skills, ranging from craft and painting, to culinary arts.
CV Triptych's Human Resource and Development representative, Sri Yuniati Pujiastuti, said there were two positions being offered, as waitress or assistant cook. When registration was closed, there were nine applications that had been submitted, including Riska's.
Blind students read the Braille Quran while at an Extraordinary School (SLB) in Jakarta, Wednesday (10/30/2019).
According to Sri, the decision to open employment opportunities for people with disabilities was a big step for her company in promoting the values of equality. She believed that the involvement of people with disabilities would contribute positively to many parties – not only for the company, but also for the self-confidence of the disabled so that people would no longer doubt their abilities.
“This is the first time we have opened employment opportunities for friends with disabilities. You can imagine the challenges, for example, how they will interact with others later. But, if we don't do it now, when will it be [the right time]?" Said Sri.
He hoped that more people would have an open mind to the capabilities of the disabled.
The head of state SLB Cicendo, Wawan appreciated the willingness of businesses to provide work opportunities for people with disabilities. He hoped that more people would have an open mind to the capabilities of the disabled.
"In this festival, of the total 24 participants, 17 are SLB schools and seven companies," said Wawan.
During the occasion, as many as 20 companies received awards from the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office for their willingness in providing jobs for people with disabilities.
The head of the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office, Taufik Garsadi, said that as many as 1,478 people with disabilities in West Java had been accepted to work in a number of organizations and companies in the province. The number was still relatively small compared with the total number of people with disabilities, which reaches 23,566 people.
Presidential Special Staff for Social Affairs Angkie Yudistia talks with award-winning students at the Garuda Jaya Festival at Gedung Sate, Bandung City, West Java, some time ago.
"Therefore, we are working together with the education office and other parties so that a disability workforce can be prepared in SLB schools and various other organization," said Taufik.
In addition to offering job opportunities, the event was also used to introduce a culture of work readiness for SLBs to help their students in employment for people with disabilities.
Erwin Simangunsong, program implementation chief of Save the Children Indonesia, said the Garuda Jaya job exhibition played many roles. In addition to offering job opportunities, the event was also used to introduce a culture of work readiness for SLBs to help their students in employment for people with disabilities.
"We hope that [people with] disabilities can be economically independent," he said.
Removing the stigma
Presidential expert staffer for social affairs, Angkie Yudistia, who was present at the event, said the government wanted to continue to provide job opportunities for people with disabilities. In accordance with Article 53 of Law No. 8/2016 concerning people with disabilities, there is a quota of 1 percent for people with disabilities to work in private companies and 2 percent in government offices, state-owned enterprise (SOEs), and provincial government-owned enterprises.
However, it is not easy. The stigma of people with disabilities is still there. As a result, people with disabilities are still reluctant to include their status on their resident identity document. In fact, such data is important so that they can become a priority for the government.
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-People with disabilities take a break after participating in a parade in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (18/5/2017).
"It should receive the attention of many parties. Let students with disabilities improve their abilities so they can open the eyes of the business world," he said.
(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)
