Photo caption: Screenshot from one of the Aku Mampu webinar series.

 

The “I Can” program initiated by DNetwork - the Disability Network focuses on helping people with disabilities to develop skills according to current career opportunities. Through “I Can”, we want to ensure that participants are qualified to get quality jobs, more resilient in the face of an ever-changing job market, and have the entrepreneurial mindset and creativity to survive in all situations.

Supported by the Australian Direct Aid Program since 2018 and also the Inspirasia Foundation, the “I Can” program series consists of mindset training, skill training (English, Digital Business, Content Writing), and entrepreneurial training and support in Aku Cab Do Business. More than 200 people with disabilities also participated in the I Can program series which was carried out from January to May 2022. Among them there are 6 businesses that have also been given training and capital through I Can Do Bussiness.

I Can Digital Marketing
As part of Digital Marketing, we decided to adapt the training to focus on digital business consultants. This intensive training is part of the priority in the education program. The goal is that the selected training participants can take part in internship after completing the training program. As it leads to a hands-on internship program, this is in line with our mission to increase employment rates for people with disabilities.


We also held a webinar for MSMEs to acknowledge them by “Hiring Their First Disabled Employee” and tell them that we are running a Digital Business program for people with disabilities and can be invited to contribute and give them experience in their own company. A total of 7 participants were selected for internships in companies to become their digital business consultants.


Each session was attended by approximately 40 participants and they were very enthusiastic, shown by the way they asked questions, shared experiences, etc. At the end of the session, we also shared their internship experiences and we created a shareable module which contains a summary of the entire training session. This is done to ensure the sustainability of the impact of our program; we want knowledge to reach more people than just those who attend training sessions on Zoom.

I Can Speak English
The number of applicants for this program is quite large; more than 100 people. We have 20 participants selected for a three-month English course, which is taught by a certified English teacher in Indonesia from After School English. The participants were placed in three different groups, each group consisting of participants with the same type of disability and the same level of understanding of English. This is done to ensure the effectiveness of the whole learning process. Participants are required to take an English test before the session starts and at the end of the program they will do it again, so that we can see the improvement in their English skills. Due to the high demand for special classes for Deaf Friends, we decided to open one and provide Sign Language Translator for all sessions.

I Can Write Content
This training starts in April 2022 and we need friends with disabilities. In this training, we focus more on citizen journalism training where the trainees can write journalistic articles that are not only creative and informative but also have economic value. In this training, we collaborated with BaleBengong.com, Bali's leading citizen journalism platform. From this training, participants also get the opportunity to become freelance contributors both on the BaleBengong platform and also as freelance contributors for DNetwork.

I Can Work in the Digital Age
This training is provided to support the ability of friends with disabilities to be able to compete in the digital job market. The material we provide is related to Job Potential as a Freelancer, Applying Basic Communication Skills, Self-Management and Improving Professional Attitudes, Exploring Equal Rights of Workers, and Preparing Job Applications and Interview Tests.

We believe that if friends with disabilities can be given training that suits the needs of today's companies, their potential to be absorbed in the job market will also be greater. This will certainly be a good starting line, both in understanding the requirements to enter the workforce and deciding to become a freelancer. In this activity, DNetwork hopes that the training participants will have high hopes and enthusiasm for creativity.

I Can Do Business
To accommodate the need to improve the entrepreneurial skills of business owners with disabilities, we held a series of entrepreneurship support sessions. The response from the community was very positive. We have over 100 applicants and we held four sessions with BEDO (Bali Export Development Organization), an Indonesian organization focused on maximizing local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, to discuss the following themes:
Entrepreneurial Mindset, Business Planning and Prototyping, Brand and Product Development, Marketing 101, Financial Literacy

After getting the five workshops, the training participants were assigned to make a financial business plan and the best 6 were selected to get seed funding. A total of 6 selected people received business capital assistance/seed funding of Rp. 2,000,000 who can develop their business for the better. Not only that, the participants were also given mentoring sessions to finalize their business plans to be more effective and sustainable.

Pernah nggak sih kamu atau tim HR di kantormu punya asumsi duluan tentang pelamar kerja penyandang disabilitas sebelum rekrutmen dimulai?
Misalnya, “Ah, nanti dia nggak bisa kerja di lapangan,” atau “Kayaknya bakal repot kalau punya karyawan Disabilitas.”

Nah, Sobat, tanpa disadari, pendapat yang demikian bisa menutup kesempatan bagi banyak talenta berbakat yang sebenarnya punya kemampuan luar biasa!

Padahal, proses rekrutmen yang adil seharusnya menilai seseorang dari kompetensinya, bukan dari kondisi fisik atau latar belakangnya.
Karena di balik setiap disabilitas, ada potensi, semangat, dan kreativitas yang kadang justru jauh melampaui dugaan kita.

💔 Kalau kita berasumsi duluan, dampaknya bagi penyandang disabilitas, sungguh tidak baik lho!

  1. Kehilangan kesempatan untuk menunjukkan kemampuan.
    Banyak pelamar disabilitas tidak bisa sampai ke tahap wawancara karena sudah tersaring lebih dulu oleh asumsi. Padahal, mereka bisa saja kandidat terbaik untuk posisi itu.
    Akhirnya, mereka kehilangan peluang bukan karena tidak mampu — tapi karena tidak pernah diberi kesempatan membuktikan diri.

  2. Menurunnya rasa percaya diri.
    Ditolak karena asumsi, bukan karena kemampuan, membuat Penyandang Disabilitas merasa tidak dianggap layak hanya karena perbedaan fisik atau sensorik.
    Lama-lama, ini bisa menimbulkan rasa ragu terhadap kemampuan diri sendiri, bahkan trauma untuk melamar kerja lagi.

  3. Perasaan tidak adil dan Merasa tersisih dari masyarakat.
    Setiap kali pintu pekerjaan tertutup karena stigma, penyandang disabilitas merasa makin jauh dari partisipasi masyarakat yang seharusnya inklusif. Mereka bisa merasa tidak diinginkan atau “berbeda” dari yang lain — padahal yang mereka butuhkan hanyalah kesempatan yang setara.

  4. Terhambatnya kemandirian ekonomi.
    Ketika akses kerja dibatasi oleh penyedia kerja, otomatis kesempatan untuk mandiri secara ekonomi juga ikut terhambat. Banyak penyandang disabilitas akhirnya sulit berkembang atau tetap bergantung pada keluarga, bukan karena tidak bisa bekerja, tapi karena tidak diberi kesempatan untuk bekerja.

  5. Dampak pada kesehatan mental.
    Rasa ditolak dan diabaikan berulang kali bisa menimbulkan stres, cemas, bahkan depresi. Bayangkan bagaimana rasanya terus berjuang keras, tapi selalu dianggap tidak mampu hanya karena Disabilitas.

  6. Potensi besar yang terpendam dan tidak berkembang.
    Banyak penyandang disabilitas memiliki keahlian, dedikasi, dan semangat belajar yang tinggi. Tapi jika dunia kerja tertutup bagi mereka, potensi itu tak pernah tumbuh — dan dunia kerja pun kehilangan talenta hebat yang bisa membawa warna baru. Bahkan, kemampuan yang awalnya dimiliki sangat bagus malah menjadi menurun karena tidak digunakan.

Sobat DNetwork, setiap kali kita berasumsi sebelum mencari tahu, tanpa kita sadari kita sedang menutup pintu bagi seseorang yang sebenarnya luar biasa.
Penyandang disabilitas tidak butuh belas kasihan — mereka butuh kesempatan yang adil untuk membuktikan kemampuan mereka.

Karena inklusi sejati dimulai dari pikiran yang terbuka, hati yang mau memahami, dan keberanian untuk memberi ruang bagi semua. 🌻

#DNetwork #KerjaInklusif #DisabilitasBisa #TanpaAsumsi #PeluangSetara #InklusiUntukSemua

 

Banyak perusahaan sekarang mulai bangga menyebut diri mereka “inklusif”. Di media sosial, kita sering lihat postingan dengan tagar #DiversityAndInclusion atau #EveryoneCanWork. Tapi, di balik kampanye yang bagus itu, pertanyaannya sederhana: apakah inklusi itu benar-benar sudah dijalankan, atau baru sampai di caption?

Inklusi bukan sekadar tren yang harus diikuti agar terlihat modern atau progresif. Ia adalah cerminan nilai yang paling dasar, bahwa setiap orang, tanpa terkecuali, berhak punya kesempatan yang sama untuk berkembang dan berkontribusi. Termasuk teman-teman dengan disabilitas.

Inklusi Itu Bukan Bonus, Tapi Dasar

Masih banyak HR yang melihat perekrutan pekerja disabilitas sebagai “tambahan sosial” — sesuatu yang bagus kalau dilakukan, tapi tidak wajib. Padahal, justru di situlah letak kesalahpahaman terbesar. Memberi kesempatan kerja bagi penyandang disabilitas bukan bentuk belas kasihan, tapi bentuk keadilan.

Teman disabilitas memiliki kemampuan, kreativitas, dan semangat kerja yang sama seperti siapa pun. Yang sering jadi hambatan bukan kurangnya kemampuan, melainkan kurangnya kesempatan dan akses. Jadi, inklusi bukan soal siapa yang “boleh” bekerja, tapi bagaimana kita bisa menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang memungkinkan semua orang bekerja dengan nyaman dan produktif.

Mulai dari Hal yang Sederhana

Buat perusahaan atau HR, langkah menuju inklusi nggak harus langsung besar. Kadang perubahan kecil justru punya dampak besar. Misalnya:

  • Menulis deskripsi pekerjaan yang jelas dan ramah disabilitas.
  • Memberi opsi fleksibilitas dalam jam kerja atau penyesuaian alat kerja.
  • Mengadakan pelatihan singkat untuk seluruh tim agar paham cara berinteraksi dan berkolaborasi dengan rekan disabilitas.
  • Memastikan kantor, ruang meeting, dan materi komunikasi digital bisa diakses oleh semua orang.

Langkah-langkah kecil ini mungkin terlihat sederhana, tapi buat seseorang dengan disabilitas, bisa jadi itu perbedaan antara “tidak bisa ikut” dan “akhirnya bisa punya tempat”.

Inklusi yang Tulus, Bukan Formalitas

Banyak program inklusi gagal karena dilakukan hanya untuk memenuhi target CSR atau mendapatkan penghargaan. Tapi inklusi sejati lahir dari niat tulus untuk membuka ruang. Nggak apa-apa kalau perusahaan belum sempurna. Yang penting, ada keinginan untuk belajar dan terus memperbaiki diri.

Mungkin butuh waktu, butuh penyesuaian, bahkan butuh keberanian untuk mencoba hal baru. Tapi setiap langkah kecil itu punya arti besar. Ketika HR benar-benar mendengarkan, memahami, dan memberi ruang bagi pekerja disabilitas, perusahaan bukan cuma jadi lebih inklusif — tapi juga lebih manusiawi.

Kenapa Ini Penting Sekarang?

Generasi muda kini lebih memilih bekerja di tempat yang punya nilai. Mereka ingin bergabung dengan perusahaan yang bukan hanya cari untung, tapi juga peduli pada dampak sosialnya. Artinya, inklusi bukan cuma “hal baik untuk dilakukan”, tapi juga jadi daya tarik bagi talenta muda. Budaya kerja yang inklusif bikin orang merasa dihargai, aman, dan bisa jadi diri sendiri.

Selain itu, banyak riset menunjukkan bahwa tim yang beragam dan inklusif justru lebih inovatif dan produktif. Jadi, inklusi bukan sekadar kebaikan sosial — tapi juga strategi bisnis yang cerdas.

❤️ Dear HR…

Coba lihat lagi tim di kantor. Mungkin ada banyak posisi yang bisa diisi oleh teman disabilitas — kalau saja kita membuka pintu dan menyesuaikan cara kerja sedikit saja. Inklusi bukan proyek jangka pendek, dan bukan juga “bonus” untuk dipamerkan. Ini tanggung jawab bersama — dimulai dari HR, lalu menyebar ke seluruh budaya perusahaan.

Karena inklusi sejati bukan tentang siapa yang kita rekrut, tapi bagaimana kita memperlakukan mereka setelah bergabung. Di dunia kerja yang terus berubah, nilai kemanusiaan seperti inilah yang seharusnya jadi fondasi utama.

Building an Inclusive Workforce

Inclusive employment has become an increasingly important issue in Indonesia. With growing awareness and stronger government policies, more organizations are realizing that hiring people with disabilities is not only a social responsibility but also a smart business move.
Creating an inclusive workplace leads to innovation, productivity, and a stronger sense of community.

Here are five key facts about how disability inclusion is shaping the future of work in Indonesia.

1. 1% Job Quota for Private Companies

According to Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, private companies with more than 100 employees are required to allocate at least 1% of their job positions for people with disabilities.
This regulation aims to ensure equal opportunity and demonstrate corporate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

2. 2% Job Quota for Government Institutions and State-Owned Enterprises

Public institutions and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have a higher quota — they are required to provide at least 2% of job positions for people with disabilities.
This policy ensures that the public sector sets an example in promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace.

3. Employees with Disabilities Are Equally Productive and Loyal

Studies show that employees with disabilities are just as productive and loyal — if not more so — than their non-disabled peers.
Their resilience, problem-solving skills, and strong work ethic make them valuable assets for any inclusive organization.

4. Interviews Can Be More Flexible

Inclusion starts at recruitment. Job interviews can be conducted in different formats — written, via video, or with an assistant — as part of reasonable accommodation.
This ensures that every candidate has a fair opportunity to present their skills and potential.

5. Career Opportunities Across All Fields

People with disabilities can pursue careers in a wide range of industries, from hospitality and design to data analytics and information technology.
This shows that ability, not disability, defines one’s potential to succeed in the workplace.

Moving Toward a More Inclusive Future

Inclusive employment is not just a legal obligation — it’s a strategy for building a stronger, more empathetic, and sustainable workplace.
By creating opportunities for people with disabilities, companies can drive innovation, boost morale, and strengthen their social impact.

Let’s continue working together to build a future where everyone has the opportunity to grow, contribute, and succeed.