JAKARTA (January 5th, 2025) - Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf invited all parties to actively create an ecosystem that provided respect, protection, and fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities. This was done to actualize the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.

"Today we are together commemorating World Braille Day, and the available data shows that we need a significant step in honoring and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities," said Gus Ipul, the familiar name of Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, while attending the World Braille Day commemoration at the Horse Statue area in Monas, Jakarta, on Sunday morning (January 5, 2025).

Gus Ipul stated that persons with disabilities also had similar needs as non-disabled individuals. Persons with disabilities required social protection, social security, and their basic rights to be fulfilled by the state and other parties who cared about the protection and respect of the basic rights of persons with disabilities.

"Respect means treating them as we would treat others. Persons with disabilities need recreation, and jobs, just like us. Therefore, we must respect them as we respect others," Gus Ipul said.

Gus Ipul emphasized the importance of protecting and respecting persons with disabilities’ basic rights. This was done because it was one of the major agendas of Indonesian Government in strengthening social transformation as outlined in the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) 2025-2045. All of this aimed to support the realization of Golden Indonesia Vision 2045, United, Sovereign, Advanced, and Sustainable.

In the social transformation development agenda outlined in the RPJPN 2025-2045, one of the efforts made by the Government to realize Golden Indonesia was by ensuring that the fulfilment of basic rights services for all members of society, including persons with disabilities, could be well implemented. Additionally, to achieve Golden Indonesia, the government also strengthened inclusive human development for all members of society, including respect, protection, and fulfilment of persons with disabilities’ basic rights.

"Therefore, Law Number 8 of 2016 serves as a legal umbrella for all of us to protect persons with disabilities," Gus Ipul said.

Gus Ipul said that seven percent of Indonesia's population, or 11.3 million people, were persons with disabilities in various categories. Meanwhile, the number of persons with moderate and severe disabilities in Indonesia was 1.9 million people.

"This is our big homework moving forward to be able to jointly provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to access their basic rights," Gus Ipul said.

Gus Ipul added that the government was currently processing a government regulation on concessions and incentives for people with disabilities. This would later provide various programs and ease for persons with disabilities to access basic services.

"Currently, government regulation on disability concessions is in the finalization stage," he said.

Gus Ipul mentioned that in realizing the respect for the rights of persons with disabilities, his staff were actively forging cooperation with various parties.

"Of course, the Government does not work alone. The Government collaborates with various parties, including the private sector, in providing protection and fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities," he said.

One of the parties committed to organizing the protection of persons with disabilities rights was Rumah Aspirasi Tunanetra Indonesia, which also organized the commemoration of World Braille Day attended by Gus Ipul in the Horse Statue, Monas area.

"He (Gus Ipul) is very attentive to the disabilities. Hopefully, his presence can cheer our friends with disabilities," the President of the Indonesian Blind Aspirations House, Arief Pribadi said.

Arief mentioned that the foundation he led provided various basic service fulfilments for persons with disabilities. One of them was the right to education in the form of developing braille literacy and disseminating information in documents that had been transliterated into braille.

"Today, there will also be the handover of the Regional Regulation of DKI Jakarta Province, which has been created and reprinted using braille by persons with disabilities," Arief said.

In response to this, the Head of Jakarta Province Social Office, Premi Lasari, stated that the Provincial Government had made improvements through Regional Regulation of DKI Jakarta Province Number 4 of 2022, which not only regulated respect but also the protection and fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities. In this regional regulation, eighteen aspects must be fulfilled to improve infrastructure, services, and facilities for persons with disabilities in Jakarta.

Gus Ipul appreciated Jakarta Special Region Provincial Government, which currently had a regional regulation on the fulfilment of the basic rights of persons with disabilities.

"This is an advancement for a region with a very strong regional budget, we want other regions to emulate what Jakarta has done," Gus Ipul said.

During the visit, Gus Ipul, along with 27 persons with visual disabilities, participated in a green walk around the Horse Statue area in Monas. In addition, during this moment, the Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2022, which had been transliterated into braille, was also symbolically given to the Jakarta Provincial Government.

One of the persons with visual disabilities, Fajar Setiadi (22), was a resident of Jakarta and had an impressive array of achievements. One of his greatest accomplishments was being part of the Jakarta contingent representing Indonesia at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia. Fajar had become one of the visually impaired individuals who can motivate other visually impaired people to continue achieving and creating.

"Disability is not an obstacle to achieving success," Fajar said.