Camelia Pasandaran & Candra Malik

Sabar, a one-legged climber, scaled a 25-story building in Solo, Central Java, on Thursday as part of commemorations to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. (Photo: Ali Lutfi, JG)

Indonesian Government the Only Obstacle for Some Disabled

Vice President Boediono wept on Thursday as he recounted his own father’s blindness during a speech to commemorate the International Day of Persons With Disabilities.

“My father was also disabled,” Boediono said, holding back tears. “He lost his sight at the peak of his life [and was blind] until his death.”

But Boediono said that although his father was disabled, he never gave up on life and always strove to give his family everything they needed.

“A disability should never become a constraint to living life,” he said.

“It’s too bad that my father could not see his son become the vice president,” Boediono said, with tears rolling down his face.

Meanwhile, Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri said the government’s continuing plans to assist the disabled included providing cash aid of Rp 300,000 ($32) to 17,000 people across 31 provinces this year.

Supriyadi, the chairman of a group representing people with spinal cord injuries in Solo, however, accused the government of not doing enough to support people who were left disabled by natural disasters.

He said the government had neglected victims of the earthquake that struck Yogyakarta and Central Java in 2006, particularly those disabled as a result of injuries sustained in the disaster. The quake claimed at least 2,000 lives.

“The government only paid attention in the first few weeks after the quake. After that, we were left behind,” Supriyadi said during a ceremony in Solo to commemorate the day.

He said the government had initially provided medical facilities, financial aid and physiotherapy for disabled victims, but that assistance quickly dropped away. He added that while he did not have any statistics, he was confident that people left disabled by other natural naturals, such as the 2004 Aceh tsunami and the 2009 Padang earthquake, had received similar treatment.

Respati Suryanto Drajat, a doctor from Soeharso Orthopedic Hospital in Solo, urged the government to ratify the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities.

“Our country has not shown its commitment toward the disabled,” he said.

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