The National Intercensal Population Survey (SUPAS) 2015 indicated that the total number of persons with disabilities aged 2 years and over in Indonesia are 21,1 million which covers 8,56% out of the total population aged 2 years and over.
The survey covers broader area of impairment, ranging from persons with physical, Intelectual, sensorik and mental impairment through severe and multiple disabilities. Such indicator is used to extend the provisions of socio-economic, comprehensive health services, and educatiom for persons with disabilities as well as for non disabilities.
The Indonesian Government and Parliament to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by Law No. 19 year 2011. Ratification signifies an important step forward to improve the Human Rights of persons with disabilities.
Indonesia recognizes human rights as the basis of respect for its citizens by ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Covenant on Economic and Social Cultural (ECOSOC), The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The ratification on CRPD provides a strong foundation to formulate better legal frameworks and policies on disability. CRPD reinvigorates the movement of civil society and Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), as well as boosting government effort to address issues that continues to hinder the rights of persons with disabilities.
CRPD stimulates the amendment of the disability law issued back in 1997, and the adoption of new law on persons with disabilities or “the Law No.8/2016 on Persons with Disabilities” contain provisions that are more in line with the commitment stipulated under CRPD.
The initial Bill of Law No.8/2016 on persons with disabilities are purely drafted by the organization of Persons with Disabilities contains of 268 33 Chapters with 153 Articles, that translated the rights stipulated under CRPD into 24 specific rights.
The law also includes general provisions as well as sanctions for violating the law. The law addresses various issues such as, inter alia: obligations of the state, disability identification and access card, sign languages, and the leading sector responsible for implementing the law and the National Commission on Disability (NCD) as a monitoring mechanism to the Law