Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, 12 July 2022.

Upon entering the office of the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Viktor B. Laiskodat, it is immediately obvious that persons with disabilities are welcomed. The office is accessible, with ramps and handrails and was a fitting location for the signing of an MoU between Governor Laiskodat and the Director of Garamin, Yafas Aguson Lay to implement the Australia-Indonesia Partnership Towards an Inclusive Society (INKLUSI).

The INKLUSI Secretariat team was joined by SIGAB Indonesia and Garamin Kupang personnel to witness the MOU signing, which will now see INKLUSI implemented in two NTT districts – Kupang and Rote Ndao.

Following the MoU signing, the Garamin team shared the results of their work at the district and village levels, specifically the Rote Ndao Regency Population and Civil Registry Service (Disdukcapil), which has made it easier for people with disabilities to obtain identity cards. For example, people with visual disabilities no longer need to put a signature on their KTP (Indonesian Identity Card) only a cross mark is needed to validate the identity card.

At the end of the meeting, the Governor Laiskodat instructed related departments to allocate budgets and develop programs and join the INKLUSI activities managed by Garamin. The Governor also requested that SIGAB and Garamin work across 20 other regencies.

After leaving the NTT Governor’s room, the INKLUSI team met the Special Staff to the Governor of NTT for Disabilities, Mrs. Dina. With her two disabled colleagues, she informed that the Governor’s Office is committed to recruiting and providing facilities to meet the needs of the staff with disabilities. The special staff has an important role in ensuring that government employees understand the perspective of disability by providing accessibility to persons with disability.

The SIGAB and Garamin team’s meeting with the Provincial Government of NTT was followed up with the establishment of working groups at the provincial and district levels, and preparation of a work plan for the 2022-2026 period.