The capital’s poor infrastructure already is a barrier for many Jakartans to access and visit places, including tourist sites.

For those with physical disabilities, the situation is even more of a challenge.

A stroll around Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta is a Sunday morning activity chosen by many residents of Greater Jakarta, including those with disabilities.

About 10 individuals from the Barrier-Free Tourism community visited the zoo hoping to enjoy the fresh air and its natural ambience. However, the trip was a massive disappointment as the participants could hardly access any of the zoo’s facilities.

One participant, Puti Ira, an architect with a hearing impairment, said the badly-designed zoo did not suit the interests of people with disabilities.

“This zoo is much bigger than most zoos in other countries, but we could not find a single patrolling guide or officer to whom we could speak to,” she said.

“The toilets and the mosque are not accessible because they have stairs.”

Visually impaired Trian “Gembira” echoed Puti’s statement.

“I have been to Ragunan before with three friends, who are also visually impaired, and it took us two hours to find an exit gate because we got different answers from different visitors,” he said.

This time, it was no different.

“Every time a horse-drawn cart or a motorcycle passed, it was very dangerous,” Trian said.

After less than an hour, the entourage decided to leave the zoo.

The Ragunan tour was the 11th trip arranged by the community, which began the project in March last year.

Faisal Rusdi, a cofounder of the community, acknowledged that it had been difficult for the group to find recreation sites with facilities for people with disabilities.

“In Jakarta, I can say that less than 1 percent of the [recreation] places in the capital are accessible to people with disabilities. Even big shopping malls in the capital are not universally designed,” said paraplegic Faisal.

The group has so far managed to gather up to 60 participants and volunteers to support the campaign for barrier-free tourism, but a series of arranged trips have been fruitless.

The community, which will celebrate their first anniversary next month, plans to invite Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to the anniversary celebration to gain support from the governor for their campaign.

“Just like anyone — the disabled need a vacation too,” Faisal said.

Source: Jakarta Post

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