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. 

 

DNetwork - Jaringan Kerja Disabilitas once again held a webinar series to support job seekers with disabilities. Unlike the previous events which underlined the development of knowledge and skills, these webinars focused on mindset building. Because undeniably, the mindset plays a very big role in building a person's character, both in the sphere of personal, social, and professional life. As people say, changing your mindset is the beginning of changing your life.

 The webinar series was held for four days, starting from April 13 to 16, 2021. Apart from the DNetwork team itself, there were three other speakers who delivered different modules; Ahmad Aziz (Engagement Lead at campaign.com) spoke about Collaboration, Ana Azzahra (CEO at Saung Research) about Critical Thinking, and Jawwadurrohman (Global Talent & Learning Partner at Gojek) about Creativity.

 Around 40 people with disabilities from various regions in Indonesia participated in these webinars. Various questions and interesting discussions occurred in the four webinar sessions, making them a very fruitful session. According to the survey we distributed to participants after the webinar series, these sessions were very useful, and the delivery was very easy to understand. Suriani, one of the participants, said that the webinars motivated her, "especially to always think positively, brave to keep trying new things, and not to give up even if I have failed in the past".

The Aku Mampu program is supported by:

March 2021 was a memorable month for DNetwork - Jaringan Kerja Disabilitas. Chosen by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, DNetwork was one of nine companies/organizations to represent Indonesia in the 2021 South by Southwest (SXSW) international event.

SXSW is one of the largest festivals in the world that showcase music performances, films, and creative ideas. Since 1987, this festival has been annually held in Austin, Texas. However, during this pandemic, SXSW 2021 was held online on March 16-20.

DNetwork had the opportunity to present a virtual booth which invited international visitors to discuss inclusiveness and job opportunities for people with disabilities and propose collaborations. Several startups and even multinational companies visited and discussed. The DNetwork team also had the opportunity to watch various panel discussions on inclusion such as "Disabilities and Tech; Barriers and Opportunities" and "Disability-led Innovation for Future Workspace" which were very eye-opening about the development of disability issues and their solutions.

DNetwork - Jaringan Kerja Disabilitas started 2021 by sharing the spirit of inclusion, especially in hope for the job opportunities for people with disabilities this year will be available even wider. Considering that 2020 was a difficult year, many people with disabilities lost their jobs and those looking for work never got the opportunity. Therefore, in 2021 DNetwork is committed to strive even harder and encourage companies to open up inclusive jobs while assisting people with disabilities to develop their skills to match with today's job opportunities.

Throughout January 2021, DNetwork held two seminars that focused on providing information to employers about the importance of building an inclusive work environment and how to recruit and work with people with disabilities. The first seminar on Monday (18/1) was aimed specifically at about 50 employees of the British Embassy in Indonesia, including the British Ambassador for Indonesia, Mr. Owen Jenkins. Meanwhile, the second seminar on Tuesday (26/1) was held in collaboration with the Manpower and Transmigration Office of East Java Province, attended by around 60 company representatives around East Java. Hopefully these seminars will inspire job providers and the employment situation with disabilities this year will be better than the previous year.