Religious participation of persons with disabilities in Java, Indonesia: An explorative study

Sara Franssen; Irwanto Irwanto; Huib Cornielje

doi:10.21776/ub.ijds.2020.007.02.07

Authors

Sara Franssen Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Irwanto Irwanto Faculty of Psychology Atma Jaya Catholic University Jalan Jenderal Sudirman 51 Jakarta 12930 Indoensia
Huib Cornielje Enablement, Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ijds.2020.007.02.07

Keywords:

accessibility, accommodation, disability discourse, religious leaders, religious activities

Abstract

This descriptive qualitative study aims to explore the main physical and social barriers to accessibility of religious sites, services, and activities for people with physical disabilities in Indonesia and subsequently aims to explore possibilities to enhance their religious participation. A total of 28 interviewees participated in this research i.e., 16 self-indicated as Muslims and 12 as Christians. Among the male participants (n=16) were 10 Muslims and 6 Catholics, and among the female participants (n=12) were 6 Muslims and 6 Christians. Interviews and physical audits suggest serious need for improvements in accessibility and accommodation going to and within the establishment. Although majority of disabled persons interviewed for this study regularly participate in religious activities, they also notice that their basic needs and concerns are not being treated as priorities. Discourse on disability issues should be initiated and developed to create inclusive religious atmosphere.

Author Biography

Irwanto Irwanto, Faculty of Psychology Atma Jaya Catholic University Jalan Jenderal Sudirman 51 Jakarta 12930 Indoensia

Dr.Â Irwanto, PhD, MSc, is the founder and director of the Center for Disability Studies and the co-director for the Center on Child Protection at Universitas Indonesia, where he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Welfare within the School of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Indonesia. In addition, Dr. Irwanto is currently a professor in the Department of Psychology at Atma Jaya Catholic University in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dr. Irwanto served as a member of an expert panel on setting a national agenda for disabled peopleâ€™s organizations after the ratification of the UN Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), and served as a resource person on the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people with disabilities for the UN Population Fund. Additionally, he served as the Chief Organizer and a Lecturer on the social protection of people with disabilities for 2010-2011 summer courses focusing on disability and development at Vrije University in the Netherlands. His active involvement in social studies won him the Excellence in Social Work Education award from the Association of Social Work Education in Asia and the Pacific in Penang, Malaysia in 2007. Dr. Irwanto was a recipient of a Fulbright-Hays scholarship, and earned his MSc and PhD from Purdue University. In 2002, he was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Department of Community Health at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

irwanto_i@yahoo.com

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