Disability: Appreciation for “ the different” : Reflection of 45th Edition
Friday, July 18, 2014 04: 43 Anirotul Munawaroh
Among the existing marginal groups in our society is persons with disability. Another term used by Act No. 4 of 1997 is person with disability. According to the ACT persons with disability is each person who has a physical or mental abnormality, which could interfere or kind of obstacles and barriers for them to do the activities properly.
The term of “ abnormality “ which is had by persons with disability actually less appropriate because it often implies to humiliate or at least bring up negative assumptions. Abnormality is often generalized with abnormal, so they are often considered as abnormal persons. Although the term of “ disorder ” with “ different “ is almost the same but it can bring out a different understanding, but actually, persons with disability are only differ on some of the physical or non-physical while the other parts are identic. The persons with disability are also very diverse, different from one and another, which has little distinction up to the total.
Persons with disability derived from the different social and economic background, from the upper economy to the lower economy. But in general they experiencing almost the same problem from each other. Social Stigma often regard them as sick people who are weak and can not do any activities such as healthy people in general, so that they looking at them as burden. Therefore, they are often regarded as a disgrace of the family, so it sometimes hidden by other family members who are reluctant to empower and socialize them with the community. This situation contribute in weakening and existence of persons with disability.
Discrimination are often experienced by them, both in the neighborhood of residence, school or working place, even in the family environment and cannot easily be removed. People and institutions that are regarded as parties that expected able to nurture the whole society ( such as religious teachers, school, even College ), are also often discriminate against the people with disability. In the school circle, most students with disability do not get extensive access to develop their talents and interests in accordance to their tendency and ability moreover mentoring and motivation from the guidance and counseling teachers for their improvement. They frequently experienced mental distress caused by attitude and treatment which they are often obtained. On the other hand, it is able to triggered them to demonstrate their existence, but most of them unwilling to socialize with other people at the end.
The majority of job fair, would prefer persons without disability. There are even really close the access for persons with disability. Whereas, if it viewed from the duty and the responsibility, most of persons with disability are able to work quite well in the agency or company. In working arena, there are a lot of people with disability must do “an extra fight “ to gain the equal trust with others. They are also having discrimination in their job because of their disability.
The main effort in order to comply the rights of persons with disability is eliminating the negative stigma of the community to them. Persons with disability are not sick persons, but they only have differences on certain conditions. Their skills also must be devoloped and empowered optimally so it could be the excess to complement their physical differences. It should be able to encourage the government to make public affirmation policy more friendly and protect their basic rights. {}
* The author is a participant of PUP Program, the 3rd Generation Central Java Area
