Only 150 Netra Disability Partners Absorbed the Labor Market, Here's the Problem

JAKARTA - Yayasan Mitra Netra, an institution that has focused for decades on empowering the blind in Indonesia, said that at least 150 disabled workers have been absorbed into the Indonesian labor market.

Head of the Manpower Section of Mitra Netra Aria Indrawati conveyed this when met by VOI after the Mitra Netra 2026 Media Gathering in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 6.

"Approximately in our total Mitra Netra alumni (during its existence) 35 years, there are approximately 150 if in total, yes. There are certainly only (only), right, who have been accepted, layoffs, there is employee turnover," said Aria.

Aria explained that the figure was obtained based on the job promotion to job placement program since the 1990s to the present.

"Until now, it means that it has been about 30 years, yes, it is approximately 150 Mitra Netra alumni absorbed in the formal sector workforce," he said.

However, Aria admitted that the absorption of labor for people with disabilities has not been fully implemented as stated in Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning People with Disabilities.

The reason is, he continued, based on data from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), at least 1.5 percent of people with disabilities are from the total population of Indonesia.

"But compared to the total number of blind people, it's nothing. (The number) of blind people in Indonesia, according to the Ministry of Health, is 1.5 percent of the population. So, if the population is now (as much as) 280 million, 1.5 percent is approximately 4 million, yes, which should be absorbed," he said.

According to Aria, the low absorption of blind workers is inseparable from structural barriers, especially the lack of understanding of companies about the abilities and methods of blind work.

He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between accessibility and accommodation in the work environment.

"Accessibility includes the provision of physical and digital facilities, while accommodation is a specific adjustment according to individual needs. Both must go hand in hand so that the blind can work optimally," he explained.

Even so, Aria is optimistic that, with the launch of the Indonesian Blind Employment Directory on December 11, 2025, it can later become a strategic reference for the community, government and business world in building a more inclusive employment system.

He assessed that the directory was an important step to bridge the potential of the blind workforce with industry needs.

"We have compiled this directory as a concrete effort to bring together the competencies of the blind with the available job opportunities. The participation of all citizens, including people with disabilities, is very important for the success of Indonesia Emas 2045," he said.