UNS – The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on society, this includes the disability community. Those whose life is dependent on their merchandise income, taxi bike, and massage service, currently have to struggle due to the social distancing and physical distancing appeals suggested by the government.
Related to the readiness and problems faced by the disability community during COVID-19 pandemic, a Professor in Inclusive Education Management from the Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Prof. Munawir Yusuf, mentioned that once he directly hears a complaint from a blind massager, who has to open his massage service amid the COVID-19 pandemic to fulfill their daily needs.
“There was a massager, who usually got many customers, however, due to this Corona pandemic their customers are reduced to 70%. They have to open their practice (service) because they have no other skills. Even though it is violating the government’s recommendation to carry on social distancing and physical distancing,” said Prof. Munawir in a webinar on ‘The Readiness and Spirit of Diffable Community Facing COVID-19 Pandemic’, Saturday (25/4/2020).
Through this real example, Prof. Munawir said that the decision of the blind massager to open their service in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is extremely dangerous because, under this unknown condition, the customer can bring a virus/bacteria that can infect the massager.
On the other hand, this case is understandable, because for a person with a disability it is difficult to find other professions or businesses. Therefore, there are no other options for them, except to continue their business/profession.
“On a normal condition, there are many of them who depend on others, although not a few also can live independently. In regard to readiness, toughness, motivation, hard work, and passion, a person with a disability is outstanding. However, with their limitation if it is not understood properly by the public and government, the disability community will be considered as a social object, incapable cluster, and source of the problem,” he added.
Prof. Munawir, as the Head of Center for Disability Studies (PSD), Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM) UNS, mentioned that the disability community has 22 rights guaranteed in Law Number 8 of 2016 regarding Person with Disability.
“The Law No. 8 of 2016 defines 22 rights of a Person with Disability, one of them is to obtain protection in the event of a disaster,” explains Prof. Munawir.
He also adds that society holds an important role to encourage disability community to develop. Not only to help, but Prof. Munawir also requests that the society provide an equivalent room for person with a disability to continue their craft.
On the occasion, Prof. Munawir also highlights the lack of information on how to obtain regular social assistance namely the ‘Keluarga Harapan’ Program (PKH), which available within the social safety net program. Whereas the government has disbursed funds totaled 110 Trillion Rupiah, which will be distributed to the grassroots community including the disability community with a total aid of 2.4 million Rupiah per year.
In order for the aids provided by the government to get distributed properly to the disability community, Prof. Munawir hopes that there will be community empowerment to perform data collection on the number of people with disabilities.
“Community empowerment is needed, for instance, a proactive difable community, social institutions/foundations/NGOs for difable person, religious group/institution (L-ZIS), government-related social, health institution, education institution, human resource, business, and industry, as well as digitalization of difable person, become important,” conclude Prof. Munawir. Humas UNS/Yefta
