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. 

 

Dian Parwati Ningsih, a Deaf Friend, who is currently participating in the SAMA internship program from the collaboration between DNetwork Indonesia and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), is happy to undergo the internship process at Hotel Indigo Seminyak, Bali. This internship is Dian Parwati Ningsih's first experience in participating in a job interview and made it an inspiration for her future when she looks for work. The communication barrier with her colleagues that she experienced when she first entered work did not become a problem in her internship process as a Culinary Staff at Hotel Indigo Seminyak, Bali. Dian felt this awkward feeling only a few days after learning to interact with colleagues through communication using short writing on paper or cellphones.

Since starting her internship in November now, Dian has felt quite comfortable doing her job as a Culinary Staff at Hotel Indigo Seminyak, Bali, even Dian's colleagues are very open in guiding and also adjusting to communicating with her as a disabled worker at Hotel Indigo.

Dian's current internship program is such a good experience for her for work preparation when Dian completes her final year of education at SLB Negeri 2 Denpasar.

Thank you DNetwork Indonesiafor facilitating Dian started from the work preparation workshop stage to the current internship stage, this program is very helpful in enriching her insight and experience in the workplace, especially in the Hospitality department 😊

In commemoration of International Disability Day, supported by the Financial Services Authority (OJK), DNetwork held several pieces of training for people with disabilities in the field of content writing, photography, and freelance career building training. Through this training, it is expected to improve the ability of people with disabilities in the digital world so they can compete in the digitalization era and can take advantage of online platforms for business development and promotion. By having proper content writing and photography skills, people with disabilities will be able to do it. This event took place offline and online from December 1 to December 10, 2021.

 

The face-to-face training started from December 1 to December 7 2021 at Annika Linden Center, Jalan Bakung Number 19 Denpasar Kesiman Kertalangu. This training, in collaboration between DNetwork and Annika Linden Center, conducted 3 days of photography training which was attended by 15 persons with disabilities from 1 December to 3 December 2021, followed by 2 days of content writing training which was attended by 15 participants as well. All participants who took part in the face-to-face training are domiciled in Bali and very enthusiastic about participating in the training to develop their skills in photography and content writing.

 

Three days webinar starting from December 8 to December 10, 2021, which discusses Creative with Mobile Phones, Social Media, and Freelance Job Opportunities for Disabilities. For three days this webinar was attended by 82 persons with disabilities from all over Indonesia, including participants who had attended face-to-face training from December 1st to 7th, 2021. We hope that after participating in these 3 webinar sessions the participants will have creative ideas in using mobile phones and social media for business development and have the knowledge to look for opportunities to work freelance so that they can compete in this digitalization era.

On September 16th, 2021, DNetwork – Jaringan Kerja Disabilitas visited SLB 2 Denpasar (Special Needs School No. 2 Denpasar) to do socialization about the upcoming SAMA workshop that will be held on the 4-5 October 2021 at Movenpick Hotel Jimbaran. SAMA stands for Setara Akses Masuk Kerja meaning Equal Access to Work is a collaborative program of GIZ, BEDO, Puspadi, Difalink and DNetwork. It is a training program for special needs students in grade 12 to prepare them to be ready for entering the work world especially in the hospitality industry. The training then will lead to a 2-6 months internship at a hotel, restaurant or other type of businesses related to the tourism industry.

 

The socialization was attended by 8 parents or guardians. Right after listening to DNetwork’s presentation about the program and the prospect of doing an internship at a hotel or restaurant, all the eight parents/guardians confirmed their children’ participation in the upcoming workshops and internship. 

 

In the forum the parents/guardians shared their children’ enthusiasm to join such workshops. This showed how important the regular and continued training to be held for the special needs students to complement their curriculum with more vocational skill training.

 

Photo caption: Parents/guardians of Special Needs School No. 2 Denpasar’ students are listening to DNetwork’s presentation about Setara Akses Masuk Kerja (SAMA - Equal Access to Work) program