Jakarta. The UK is helping empower people with disabilities in Indonesia with a tech program focused on digital literacy and entrepreneurship training.

In 2019, the British government launched the UK-Indonesia Tech Hub in a move to help develop Indonesia's tech ecosystem. The UK-Indonesia Tech Hub then launched a program aimed at advancing the digital literacy of people with disabilities the following year.

To date, the Tech to Empower program has reached the lives of 950 people with disabilities in Indonesia. They have delivered over 10 financial, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy programs for the beneficiaries. The UK is also working alongside the non-profit organization Alunjiva Indonesia.

Ilham Wibisono is one of the Tech to Empower participants. 

Ilham is a 26-year-old aspiring entrepreneur with a physical disability. Since joining the program last August, he has already formed a good foundation of what it takes to grow his own business through learning technical digital skills. He also learned the importance of mental health education, which is one of Alunjiva Indonesia’s primary goals in eliminating the negative stigma towards people with mental illnesses and disabilities. 

“I’m very grateful for this program,” Ilham said at the Tech to Empower Summit in Jakarta on Thursday.

“It’s really helping to complete the skills I need to move forward,” Ilham said.

The summit also saw the launch of new disability guidelines for employers and businesses that will be used to uphold equal employment opportunities. This guidebook is also expected to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) support people with disabilities in the workplace.

“The guidelines will serve as a valuable tool for creating a more inclusive working environment,” British Charge d’Affaires to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Matthew Downing said.

“And to amplify the impact, these guidelines will be integrated into a digital platform for easy accessibility. I hope that these can be widely disseminated across Indonesia, helping to influence organizations and communities by encouraging them to adopt a more inclusive practice,” Downing added.

The summit also included a job fair with 10 partner companies offering work opportunities, as well as an MSME exhibition for people with disabilities to showcase their products.