The Indonesian Association of the Blind (Pertuni) recently held its 10th National Congress (Munas) at Hotel Mega Anggrek, West Jakarta. This quinquennial event was attended by approximately 520 delegates from across Indonesia, ready to discuss the future of the visually impaired community. The 10th Pertuni National Congress marked a significant moment for the visually impaired community.
The main agendas for this congress included: 1) Establishing the work program for 2024-2029; 2) Adjusting the organization's Articles of Association and Bylaws (AD-ART); and 3) Electing the Chairperson and Chairperson of the Central Supervisory Board of Pertuni for 2024-2029. The event was opened by the Directorate General of Legal and Human Rights of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, adding to the gravitas of this year's congress.
On that occasion, Aria Indrawati, Chairperson of Pertuni, stated, “As a national organization, Pertuni is a home for 50,000 visually impaired individuals in Indonesia, as well as a vehicle to advocate for their rights.” The two-term Chairperson of Pertuni also added, “Not only that, but Pertuni also represents approximately 4 million visually impaired citizens in this country.” Aria further explained that Pertuni continues to move forward with a strong democratic spirit.
Pertuni serves as both a home and a vehicle for the struggle of its visually impaired members across Indonesia. A home where visually impaired individuals learn to manage and develop the organization by upholding the spirit of democracy. And a legitimate vehicle to fight for, promote respect, protection, and fulfillment of the rights of visually impaired Indonesian citizens.
In line with these circumstances, one of Indonesia's State Universities (PTN) has also made a tangible presence amidst this situation. Universitas Terbuka (UT), as a higher education institution that received a special mandate from the government to provide the widest possible access to higher education, is actively fulfilling this mandate. One of these tangible actions is providing full scholarships to visually impaired individuals, a program UT has been actively promoting since 2021.
UT Receives Award from Pertuni Amidst the 10th National Congress, there was a special moment. Universitas Terbuka (UT) received an award from Pertuni for its tangible contributions in supporting higher education for the visually impaired. Since 2021, UT has been providing full scholarships for visually impaired individuals who wish to pursue higher education.
The award was presented by UT's Vice Rector, Rahmat Budiman, S.S., M.Hum., Ph.D., who affirmed UT's commitment to providing unlimited access to education. Rahmat explained, “UT is the only higher education institution that provides unlimited access for all Indonesian citizens, including the visually impaired.” He expressed gratitude for Pertuni's award to UT for its contribution to empowering visually impaired youth through the provision of full scholarships during their studies.
Rahmat also stated, “For visually impaired individuals who wish to gain access to quality higher education, please join UT, as we provide full scholarships for these students. UT is the only higher education institution that provides unlimited access for all Indonesian citizens,” he added. What's Next? Moving forward, Pertuni will continue to organize various internal and external activities to support its members.
From organizational management to technology training, everything is designed to strengthen the visually impaired community in Indonesia. Both UT and Pertuni strongly support these tangible actions, with the hope that even more visually impaired young people in Indonesia will gain access to quality higher education. News source: UT.AC.ID