Media Release
15 December 2017
Australia’s national disability advocate is visiting Jakarta to share Australia’s experience in fostering a society in which people with disabilities can take an active role and reach their potential.
Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin, who is on his first official visit to Indonesia, has met with government officials and disability advocates to discuss Australia’s approach to supporting the rights of people with disabilities.
Mr McEwin was the guest of honour at a talk show on inclusion in the Embassy’s Purnululu Theatre last night. He was joined by Australian alumnus Mohammad Ismail, developer of sign language service app Signteraktif, fellow alumnus Slamet Thohari, disability advocate with the Centre for Disability Services and Studies at Brawijaya University in Malang, and Ni Made Ratni, captain of the Indonesian Wheelchair Rugby team, who has been selected to play for the New South Wales Wheelchair Rugby team in 2018.
Australian Deputy Head of Mission Allaster Cox said the Australian Government partnered with the Indonesian Government, disabled people’s organisations and civil society to promote the empowerment of people with disabilities.
“The Australian Government is committed to playing a leadership role internationally in disability rights and inclusion. Australia will strongly advocate for the rights of people with a disability during our term on the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2018 to 2020,” Mr Cox said.
Research from Australia’s Monash University shows that there are at least 10 million people in Indonesia with some form of disability. Despite significant progress in many areas, people with disabilities continue to face challenges such as exclusion from services and jobs, and are among the most disadvantaged in society.
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