A Better World: Hiring People with a Disability

When 19-year-old Putri Sri Wikanadi lost her leg after a motorbike accident in highschool, she became uncertain about life and how she’d find work to support herself.

After receiving a prosthetic leg from PUSPADI Bali, she began to see the possibilities for her future and not see her disability as a limitation. Regaining her confidence, Wikanadi completed our Soft and Hard Skills Training Program which led her to secure a job in the Accounts and Finance Department at Happy Trails in Sanur (a specialised travel company organising tours throughout parts of Asia).

Happy Trails approached DNetwork because it wanted to give a person with a disability a chance at a fulfilling role and they found Wikanadi to be a good match. “We don’t see their disability but rather we see the person and whether they’re capable, adaptable, as well as willing to do the job, and we have found Wikanadi to be great in her work,” Ratna N. Eka Soebrata, Happy Trails’ External Relations Manager said.

Working at Happy Trails for the past few months, Wikanadi’s role includes carefully checking the invoices of the organisation’s suppliers. “Although I have a disability and experience challenges, I would like to move forward to a brighter future and represent others with a disability by showing them that they don’t need to feel shame,” she said.

Wikanadi enjoys how the job has enabled her to grow both personally and professionally. “With the help of PUSPADI Bali and Happy Trails, I feel properly accepted by my teammates and managers in the office and I consider them friends as they’ve made me feel very welcome, which has helped me a lot during my development,” she said.

Encouragingly, Wikanadi’s contract at Happy Trails has been renewed for another few months.

Wikanada (bottom right) happy to be working with the Happy Trails team in Sanur.

For Jefrianus Rangga Dao from Malaka who lost his leg in a motorbike accident in 2010, his spirit has been renewed from being able to do paid work cleaning at Jan’s Tours in Denpasar. After his accident, 27-year-old Jefrianus couldn’t continue working as a carpenter which left him feeling powerless. Yet, when he received his prosthetic leg at PUSPADI Bali, he rediscovered a life worth living and signed up to be part of our Soft and Hard Skills Training Program.

Through the program, Jefrianus learnt English, how to use computers and other skills which proved beneficial for him, as he prepared to enter the workforce again. “I’m really happy that I received a prosthetic leg from PUSPADI Bali and I’m happy in spirit that I am able to work again, as well as be part of a team which feels like family,” Jefrianus said.

Janice Mantjika runs Jan’s Tours and is one of PUSPADI Bali’s Board Members. Ms Mantjika believes that employing Jefrianus has opened the eyes of her team and those in the tourism industry about the many abilities of a person with a disability. “He’s the best cleaner we’ve ever had and this job has helped to build his confidence and have money in his pocket as well,” she said. “Hiring a person with a disability shows other organisations that they have many abilities and I’d like to see more local businesses consider inclusion and accessibility in their workplaces.”

We also want more employers to hire people on their abilities and not discriminate – as well as this to be the norm rather than the exception. In Bali and other parts of Indonesia, people with a disability continue to come up against many barriers, particularly in finding work, which leaves them feeling disempowered, ashamed and often stuck in a cycle of poverty.

The PUSPADI Bali team believes each person with a disability has vast potential and they’re able to cultivate their talents through our Soft and Hard Skills Training Program, so they build their confidence, English skills, computer knowledge, resume writing and preparation for work. 85 people with a disability have graduated from our program and many have gone on to do internships or be employed in Bali.

While there are no official statistics of the actual unemployment rate of people with a disability in Indonesia, sadly, estimates suggest that less than 1% are employed. It means that a continual cycle of unjust discrimination towards people with a disability persists because many employers are failing to see them as equals in society.

When more organisations like Happy Trails and Jan’s Tours open their doors to people with a disability, it demonstrates how working together as a team produces multiple positive outcomes for both the individual and the business.

Our Soft & Hard Skills Graduate Jefrianus about to do further cleaning as part of his job at Jan’s Tours.