posted by Thea on Issue

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Visiting Menara Karya last friday for taking my new key BCA, I found a “special” facility provided by that building. Even in Wisma Mulia, the building where my office settling, and is said as one of the most expensive building in Jakarta, I don’t find one.

The special facility is rest room. What is special about that? The one I call special is because it’s dedicated for people with special needs (PSN), such as people with wheel chair. The rest room is much larger than typical rest room so the wheel chair can get in to the room and necessary movement can be done there.

In Jakarta, I assume only small numbers of building which are built with such feature. Unlike developed countries, which almost all public facilities are designed so people with special need can access, in developing countries rarely I found that. Yeah, maybe there are still a lot of things considered more urgent in Indonesia than raising awareness of equal access for PSNs.

Once becoming volunteer for YAKKUM Rehabilitation Center several years ago, I met persons who were very eager to campaign of equal access for people with PSNs. They urged to the local authority in order to imply the aspiration of PSN in every policy issued. Not only appealing the authority, they also did things, which probably considered simple things, yet very useful for the PSNs such as modifying vehicle so the PSN can ride on it or giving vocational skill so they can have special skill to be self-sufficient. It was a very happy moment when we could do something to them.