After having preparation less than a month, International Fair of Special Education Needs (IFoSEN) was successfully conducted. It was organized by Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta on the 9th – 10th of December 2014 in Exhibition Hall of Taman Pintar Yogyakarta and collaborated with PPDI (Persatuan Penyandang Disabilitas Indonesia / Indonesian Disability Association) of DIY. It was expected to raise people’s awareness of the existence of siblings, families, friends, or people around them who have special needs (disabilities).
Besides raising awareness of their existence, it also aimed at that the disabled people got equal rights to others. Thus, they would have the same occasions and rights to pursue higher education, receive the chances of applying for jobs, obtain refuge and guarantee of health, social, politic, law, and disaster management, dwelling, and accessibility, as well as achieve similar opportunities to be creative through arts, cultures, and sports.
Satria Rizaldi, the deputy chief, in Public Relation Office on Friday (26/12) stated that the main agenda of IFoSEN was exhibiting artworks created by disabilities of Indonesia. The artworks were also displayed to institutes and overseas NGOs participating in the event as well. “In this event, we exposed artworks, handicrafts, art performances, and art competitions. All of them were participated by disabilities since those were the evidence of our awareness of them,” he stated.
Satria argued that the strengths of disabilities was rarely exposed and recognized by society. Hence, in the event coincided with International Special Need Day (HSNI), the committee performed artworks and handicrafts, so that all people found out that behind the shortages of disabilities there are a lot of strengths which other people might not be able to do it yet. “The ways which we carried out were not only showing the products but also conducting various competitions such as fashion show and Comic Street. Additionally, there was a long march with 100 disabilities of DIY from Vredeburg Castle to Taman Pintar,” he told.
In the long march, they campaigned PERDA DIY No. 4 Year 2012 regarding Refugee and Right Fulfillment of Disabilities to be optimally implemented. This long march successfully turned a Record of World Indonesia Achievement Institute (LAPRIND).
Satria continued that, in the opening of EFoSEN on Monday (9/12), the Ministry of Education and Culture (Mendikbud), Anies Baswedan, attended to deliver oration and motivation to disabilities in order that they kept trying and working hard, and they did not consider their storages as a burden to gain achievement and success. Anies recommended that the society begin changing their mindset toward disabilities. According to Anies, the society was not allowed the disabilities as disabled people. Nevertheless, the shortages of themselves should be noticed as natural aspects. If the mindset of society toward disabilities could have been altered, it would be widely opened their occasions to achieve the same rights in education, employment, health, social, art, culture, sport, politic, law, disaster management, dwelling, and accessibility.
