HomeNewsroomNews UpdatesPekalongan Legislator Involves Civil Society to Promote Policy Safeguarding Health Care for People with Disabilities

Pekalongan Legislator Involves Civil Society to Promote Policy Safeguarding Health Care for People with Disabilities

Jan 7, 2022

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) experience significant barriers to accessing health care services, including negative attitudes, insufficiently trained medical personnel, and structurally inaccessible health centers.


On 29 December 2021, MADANI’s Learning Forum Serasi Madani in Pekalongan (Central Java), advocated for a draft executive order (Peraturan Bupati) on PWDs access to health services in a hearing with representatives from the local government and legislatures (DPRD). During the hearing, key points addressed include making public health centers (Puskesmas) more structurally accessible, issuing disability ID cards, developing a disability database, and supporting community-based caregivers. A meeting is being set up for the Serasi Madani forum to meet with the regent later in January. If enacted, the executive order would strengthen the Pekalongan bylaw No. 2/2020 on the Protection and Fulfilment of the Rights of PWDs through safeguarding the health care needs of PWDs. With a growing number of Lead Partners assuming leadership roles, local governments and legislatures in MADANI’s districts continue to show a greater willingness to not only respond to civil society recommendations, but also adopt them as policy.