Each person is willing to be an independent person. Person who has freedom to know, to feel, to do and to live together would make a nation independent.

The main characteristic of the independent nation is people freely develop their individual life and deeply involved their social life. Hence each person is a country leader who has roles and responsibilities to lead his or her country having freedom for all people in terms of independent living in their societies.

A nation, independent living is signed by celebrating an independent day. Indonesia, every 17 of August all people whoever and wherever with diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnics, languages, religions, characteristics including poor-rich, children-adults, female-male and abilities-disabilities celebrate the Indonesia Independent Day. By this history, Indonesia as a state, this year has celebrated the freedom for 64 years. It means that year by year Indonesia society should have freedom becoming more independence to run their individual and social life as freedom is the rights for each person in a state.

In that regards concerning people with disabilities’ life, the question is what the meaning of Indonesia independent day for them is. People with disabilities are part of Indonesia society. They do not segregatively exist and live but they inclusively exist and live in their societies. They are a community with disabilities but People with disabilities are not an exclusive society.

As a person and as a human who has the rights,  in particular as part of the society and the nation so that each person with disabilities is also willing to be an independent person having freedom to run his or her individual and social life.

However, the weak of information and understanding about what is disability, who are people with disabilities and how interact with them make most people most focus on their disability rather than focus on their human as a person. Therefore, labeling, stigmatization, over-protective, ignorant attitudes make    people with disabilities get additional restrictions and becoming more vulnerable people.

For instance, children with disabilities still find it difficult to access education. Most parents doubt to bring their children with disabilities going to school. In one hand, this is a reality that children with disabilities do not have enough freedom to decide their education. In another hand, basically that the education system in Indonesia applies inclusive system based human rights as clearly stated in article 31 Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 and the education policies and regulations concerning on 9 years basic education and education for all. Moreover the most important, Indonesia is one of signatory of Millennium Development Gold for free basic education and Convention on Rights of Person with Disabilities March 2007. It might be concluded that inclusive education system in Indonesia has applied since 1945 when Indonesia had the freedom and celebrated the independent day 17th August 1945.

64 years were gone, and it seems people with disabilities are still left behind. Adults with disabilities fight very challenging to look for jobs. Women with disabilities face multi disabilities as a woman and as person with disabilities. Teenagers and young people with disabilities   do not have any spaces to show their talents and express their hobbies. I would say that in the restrictive condition people with disabilities and their organizations have more fighting spirit and never stop to fight their rights and always show their obligation as part of the society.

As the result, recent years, the government and organizations show their effort to concern on disability issues. The bright movement that the government encourage all stakeholders to give equal opportunities for people with disabilities having education, job and other activities such as recreation, hobbies, arts, sports, etc. It is a great effort, the society get more information and understanding to people with disabilities. However, the equal opportunity is not enough, does not make people with disabilities have freedom and able to have their rights and run their obligation in their society who have openly taken action and participated in disability issues. It can be showed that the opportunity constantly restrict the freedom of children with disabilities. For example, a school accepts a boy with hearing disability, but his class teacher and friends always speak fast and do not know should speak face to face. Another example, a young woman with physical disability is hired as an office staff but she does not have access to transportation reaching the office.

That is to say, each person with disabilities is able freely to be an independent; the stakeholders do not only give the equal opportunity but also should follow by providing accessibilities to meet the need of people with disabilities.

64 years Indonesia has had its independent life. It could not declare if there is still part of Indonesia people who are disabled have not had their independent life. Consequently, I would bring to a close that Independence and disability is not people with disabilities difficulty but  those are the society and the nation problems.