By: Alifatul Arifiati
Based on Law No. 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities. A person with a disability is defined as anyone who experiences long-term physical, intellectual, mental, and/or sensory limitations. This is especially true when interacting with their environment, which can cause obstacles and difficulties in participating fully and effectively with other citizens based on equal rights.
In the Indonesian Facts published by the Indonesian Labor Organization (ILO), it is stated that an estimated 10 percent of Indonesia’s population (24 million) are persons with disabilities. Of course, this data is also like an iceberg phenomenon, because in Indonesia there are still many families who do not register their family members with disabilities for citizenship status.
In addition, acceptance of family members with disabilities is still low. Furthermore, the process of registering for citizenship is not easy, especially for persons with disabilities.
Becoming Disabled due to Limited Perspectives and Access
In the literature on disability, there are two dominant perspectives in society. The first is the medical perspective, which views disability as a medical problem resulting from the “abnormality” of a person’s sensory, physical, and mental functions. Because it stems from a medical perspective, a person with a disability needs to find a solution by improving those functions. For example, through therapy, rehabilitation, or medication.
This perspective is refuted by the second model, the social perspective, which stems from the difference between “impairment” and “disability.” In this perspective, a person becomes “disabled” not because of their physical, sensory, or mental limitations.
Rather, it is caused by a social environment that prevents these limitations from being optimized. For example, a person is unable to enjoy the rights of persons with disabilities or mobility not because of their physical limitations, but because buildings and urban planning are not wheelchair-friendly. (Jurnal Perempuan, Edition 113).
Changing Perspectives
The most difficult thing is to dismantle society’s perspective towards the second perspective. That disability exists because of society’s perspective that differentiates access to fulfill the rights of persons with and without disabilities.
In fact, many people still use the words “normal” and “abnormal” to refer to non-disabled and disabled people. One example is a pair of candidates for governor and deputy governor of West Java in the 2024 regional elections who used the word “normal” to refer to non-disabled people.
Regarding accessibility for persons with disabilities, this issue is most often discussed in academic journals. This includes infrastructure access, educational access, and access to welfare.
Although in many ways, we address accessibility for people with disabilities by placing disability as “the other.” This can be seen in one example, which is the Al-Jabbar Mosque building, which is claimed to be a disability-friendly mosque.
However, if we look closely at the building, the infrastructure for people with disabilities is not located at the main entrance of the mosque. Instead, it is located next to the main entrance, so that it seems as if the access is different from that for non-disabled people.
Female Scholars Become a Support for Marginalized Groups
The Indonesian Female Clerics Congress (KUPI) defines female clerics as people with deep knowledge. Both women and men who fear Allah (have integrity), have noble character (akhlaq karimah), uphold justice, and provide benefits to the universe (rahmatan lil ‘alamin).
KUPI, at least in its two congresses, has positioned itself as a collective network that encourages the strengthening of marginalized groups. Its vision is the realization of a civilization of true justice for every human being for a dignified and sustainable life in the grace of Allah SWT.
True justice means giving equal rights to all human beings while taking into account the specific circumstances of certain genders or groups. For example, the specific circumstances of women compared to men. Women experience more complex reproductive periods such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and menopause.
Without special attention to these characteristics of women, religious teachings have the potential to become a justification for blaming women who are victims of injustice. This results in women becoming victims yet again.
Considering the Specificities of Persons with Disabilities
People with disabilities also need special attention according to their specific characteristics. As we know, every person with a disability has unique circumstances and needs. People with physical disabilities are certainly very different from those with mental disabilities, or physical and mental disabilities. Therefore, they require fair intervention according to their specific characteristics.
KUPI and the issue of gender equality are closely related. Almost everyone who has heard of KUPI will immediately associate it with humanitarian work that promotes gender equality. But how does the KUPI network work to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities?
Fahmina, as one of the institutions supporting KUPI, conducted a brief study to see how the network of female scholars is working to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities in West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, and DKI Jakarta.
The research was conducted by collecting data on regulations, journals, and books on disability issues in the five regions. In addition, female scholars who have begun working to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities were sought out.
Hope Exists: A Network of Female Clerics Working to Strengthen the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Nyai Hj. Aniroh is a female cleric in Central Java who serves at the Majlis Takilm Setu Pon Cilacap. She is also active in the Indonesian Association of Persons with Disabilities (PPDI). Nyai Aniroh actively provides assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for persons with disabilities in her community.
Besides Bunyai Aniroh, Wiwin Siti Aminah is also one of the female scholars in the KUPI network who actively promotes the fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities through the UNU Yogyakarta university service space, namely the GEDSI UNU institution. Wiwin Siti Aminah conducts research related to disabilities and provides recommendations to campuses for efforts to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of persons with disabilities on campus.
Wiwin is also active in Srikandi Lintas Iman (SRILI), a non-profit organization in Yogyakarta that mobilizes interfaith leaders. SRILI recently, in February, strengthened the issue of tolerance for persons with disabilities from diverse religious backgrounds.
Another female religious leader with a disability who is also active in advocacy is Fatimah Asri Muthmainnah, commonly known as Aci. She is a female religious leader who serves at the Al-Azis Lasem Islamic boarding school as a caregiver and as the chairperson of the Fatayat NU Lasem branch leadership.
Aci actively voices the rights of persons with disabilities and is currently a commissioner at the National Commission on Disability (KND). This is a state institution under the coordination of the Ministry of Social Affairs that has a mandate to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly for the protection and respect of the rights of persons with disabilities. However, Aci is not yet directly connected to KUPI.
KUPI’s Commitment Through Kupibilitas
Several KUPI networks have made efforts to promote the strengthening of the rights of persons with disabilities, both directly and indirectly. However, their work is still in its early stages and is temporary. This means that their efforts are not in-depth, sustainable, or involve groups of persons with disabilities.
As Siti Rofiah has done, she is a caregiver at the Al-Falah Salatiga Islamic boarding school, an alumnus of the Fahmina Female Ulama Cadre Course (DKUP). Siti Rofiah realizes the importance of students communicating with deaf friends (deaf people with disabilities) and the difficulty of finding sign language interpreters easily at every event.
Meanwhile, it is very important to create an inclusive space. Therefore, Siti Rofiah and the Islamic boarding school she manages conducted sign language training from January 1 to February 26, which was held over 6 meetings, every Saturday. Siti Rofiah hopes that this activity will be carried out continuously by her Islamic boarding school.
Additionally, Kiai Faqih Abdul Kodir proposed that Kupipedia.id include a special page on disability issues. This way, when the network of female religious scholars, or the Indonesian public in general, needs information and knowledge to promote the strengthening of disability rights, they can utilize it.
Realizing the rights of persons with disabilities to be equal to other groups in Indonesian society is not easy. But it is not impossible either. Female religious scholars need to involve persons with disabilities as collective partners. The goal is to gain additional perspectives on the work we have been doing.
Other issues that require attention include sexual rights and reproductive health, as well as family care patterns for families with disabilities, which are among the most important issues. Female religious scholars can contribute to efforts to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities. Because female religious scholars serve as a pillar of support for marginalized groups, one of which is persons with disabilities. []
