Supporting the Regional Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities (RAD PD)East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government

In the last decade, the government of Indonesia has enacted Law No. 8/2016 on People with Disabilities and government regulation No. 70/2019 on the Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Respect, Protection, and Fulfilment of the Rights of People with Disabilities. To operationalize these, the central government established the National Action Plan on People with Disabilities (RAN PD) while local governments were asked to formulate regional action plans (RAD PD).

Indonesia’s RAN PD is a comprehensive framework that reflects commitment to promoting the rights, inclusion, and empowerment of people with disabilities. The national and regional action plans are key references for disability inclusive development planning for ministries and other government institutions at national and local levels.

SKALA is supporting Bappenas to evaluate the existing RAN PD and to prepare the 2025-2029 RAN PD.

East Nusa Tenggara’s Achievements in Disability Inclusion

The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) government has made significant strides in promoting disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for other regions. Through strategic collaboration, regulatory changes, and dedicated support programs, the NTT government has ensured that people with disabilities are involved in the region’s development planning and policy implementation. SKALA is proud to support the NTT government’s efforts towards an inclusive society where the rights and needs of all citizens, especially those with disabilities, are recognized and supported.

NTT’s Disability Inclusion Journey

NTT’s Regional Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities (RAD PD) is the result of a long and collaborative effort. Since 2019, the NTT government has been committed to disability inclusion, beginning with the appointment of a person with disabilities as Special Staff to the Governor. Between 2020 and 2022, the Regional Development Planning Unit, Research and Development Agency (Bappelitbangda), the Disability Transformation Advocacy Movement for Inclusion (GARAMIN), the Indonesian Association for the Blind (PERTUNI), local NGOs, and academics have all came together to form a RAD PD team.

The NTT provincial government and NTT GARAMIN participated in a learning forum organized by Bappenas, the Community Monitoring Forum for Inclusive Indonesia with Disabilities (FORMASI Disabilitas), and the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) during the National Action Plan Workshop for Persons with Disabilities. At the forum, FORMASI Disabilitas supported the NTT government by sharing information on regulations and RAD PD implementation in other provinces and helped them connect with disability organizations across Indonesia. To encourage preparation and implementation of RAD PD, Bappenas and FORMASI Disabilitas visited six provinces — East Nusa Tenggara, Banten, Aceh, West Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, and North Maluku.

A key regulatory milestone was the issuance of Gubernatorial Regulation No. 68/2020 on the Protection and Fulfilment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The establishment of the NTT Regulation No. 6/2022 on the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities was another important milestone. Coordinated by GARAMIN NTT with support from the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Justice (AIPJ), this team worked to involve people with disabilities in the regional planning process, from the planning forum (Musrenbang) to the Regional Work Plan (RKPD).

Achievements in 2023

In 2023, supported by the SKALA and INKLUSI programs, coaching clinics for RAD PD facilitators were held in August in NTT. The clinics aimed to: (i) increase the competency of the facilitators involved in preparing the RAD PD, (ii) optimize the role of regional officials and stakeholders in ensuring people with disabilities have access to their basic rights, and (iii) support an increasingly inclusive NTT that will continue to involve people with disabilities in development. The clinics involved 14 facilitators and included expert speakers from Bappenas, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.

SKALA also supported a workshop on the formulation of NTT’s RAD PD for local governments including Bappelitbangda, Social Affairs Offices, INKLUSI partners, disabled people’s organisations, etc. in September 2023. The workshop helped produce: (i) a matrix on the RAD PD’s strategic targets, (ii) analysis on using regional data to inform disability inclusion, especially as it relates to the provision of minimum service standards, (iii) analysis of budget allocations for persons with disabilities for technical working units (OPDs), and (iv) a draft RAD PD and Governor’s Regulation on guidelines for the implementation of RAD PD in NTT.

An MoU with GARAMIN NTT, supported by SIGAB Indonesia and the INKLUSI program, also contributes to the goal of an inclusive NTT. In December 2023, the NTT RAD-PD was submitted to the NTT government for approval.

Commitment to Disability-Inclusive Budgeting

Budget allocations across various government departments highlight the NTT government’s commitment to supporting disability-inclusive initiatives. The Youth and Sports Service supports athletes with disabilities via the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), while Social Services provide social assistance, assistive equipment, and social rehabilitation for residents with disabilities. Bappelitbangda develops disability profiles, hosts meetings, and facilitates allowances for special staff, including for travel and in advisory roles to the governor. Employment efforts focus on opening disability positions in the State Apparatus and government’s contract-based recruitment. The Disaster Management Agency integrates organizations of persons with disabilities in all disaster response phases, participates in the Disaster Risk Reduction Forum, establishes Disaster Resilient Villages, and includes a Disability Services Unit.

Comprehensive Data and Ongoing Partnerships

The NTT government maintains comprehensive data on disability, including a 2019 profile that maps disability organizations across NTT. This data fosters partnerships between people with disabilities and the government to promote inclusion. With 18 disability organizations across 22 regencies/cities, these relationships are encouraged through regular coordination meetings and participation in planning sessions. The preparation of the Disability Profile and the RAD PD itself involved 17 organizations. And the NTT government’s MoU with GARAMIN NTT continues to drive the vision for an inclusive NTT.

Since early 2024, SKALA has supported planning and budgeting by strengthening the One Data System in NTT. This support helps enhance the meta data governance system which includes activity statistics, variable statistics, indicators, and incorporates GEDSI-based data on minimum service standards. SKALA has also supported preparation of single data SOPs and technical guidelines on GEDSI-based One Data. SKALA is supporting the NTT government to produce the Governor’s Instruction on Regsosek, a socioeconomic registry that aims to provide comprehensive data on the entire population, including people with disabilities. The registry contains individual profiles, social and economic conditions, and welfare levels to enable poverty reduction through targeted government assistance.

Progress from Aceh’s experience:

Like in NTT, people with disabilities across Indonesia face unique challenges and barriers that require targeted efforts to ensure their rights and needs are addressed equitably. In Aceh, known for its rich cultural heritage and diversity, the RAD PD is a crucial step toward fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment. SKALA has worked with the Aceh government to contribute to the Governor Regulation No. 53/2023 on the 2024-2029 RAD PD, and the draft Qanun (legislative regulation) on people with disabilities. The draft Qanun is on Aceh’s list of legislative programmes (Prolegda) for 2024. Inputs include facilitated consultations between the RAD PD team and Bappenas, a study visit to Yogyakarta to learn about inclusion, meetings with Aceh legislators and bureaucrats on the draft Qanun. SKALA has also helped the Aceh government to ensure that people with disabilities are part of the Regulation and Qanun drafting teams. The NTT and Aceh RAD PD represent significant provincial efforts to foster a more inclusive and equitable society. By focusing on accessibility, support services, public awareness, and participatory governance, Aceh and NTT are making meaningful strides toward ensuring that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in and benefit from all aspects of community life. Collaborative efforts among government agencies, civil society, and the private sector are essential to realizing the goals of the RAD PD and creating a more inclusive Indonesia for all its residents.