Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy affirmed that the Indonesian government is currently developing an accurate data collection mechanism for people with disabilities to identify and overcome problems being facing.
“Data collection of people with disabilities is the main key in identifying and overcoming the obstacles experienced by people with disabilities in obtaining their rights,” he noted in his remarks at the MOST UNESCO Indonesia National Conference held online here on Wednesday.
The conference was themed “Strengthening Research Ecosystems for Inclusive Policies to Improve the Fulfillment of Rights and the Role of People with Disabilities in Development.”
The minister emphasized that data collection is a crucial aspect in the formulation and implementation of policies to encourage inclusive development for people with disabilities.
“Respect, protection, and fulfillment of the rights of people with disabilities must receive attention,” he stressed.
He admitted that currently, the data collection of people with disabilities is still limited and sectoral and conducted based on population or program registration using data collection instruments by each agency in accordance with their respective duties and functions.
Through Law Number 8 of 2016, the Indonesian government has committed to creating a policy for data collection of people with disabilities through: national data collection of people with disabilities, disaggregated data of people with disabilities, and completion of population administration of people with disabilities.
To realize them, ministries and institutions should synergize with the community to develop data collection for people with disabilities that is accurate and includes the main and detailed characteristics of disabled individuals, he stated.
It is estimated that the current count of people with disabilities in Indonesia reaches around 22,097,000, and of the figure, older adults are the age group with the highest figure, Effendy stated.
Source: Antara News