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

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.