Jakarta, Kartunet.com - Still in the spirit of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, another special event was held. This time, people with disabilities gathered in a room to showcase their literary works, in the form of musical poetry. The 2-hour event took place at At America, Pacific Place Mall (December 13).
“Hear Artist, Hear Ability: A Different Kind of Happy Performance.” This is how Khairan Barokka named the event. The artist and poet, commonly known as Okka, explained his reasons for organizing a performance for people with disabilities. “We can show that the disability community can also be artists, that people with disabilities also have voices that deserve to be heard,” he said.
Okka opened the event with great enthusiasm. He shared stories about people with disabilities from various countries who have achieved success in literary arts, such as poetry readings and theater. Furthermore, Okka's captivating poetry reading enthralled the audience, making the attendees—who were predominantly people with disabilities, disability social activists, and literary art enthusiasts—even more eager to witness the talents of people with disabilities performing their works.
The people with disabilities who performed came from various communities, including Yayasan Wisma Cheshire, ISDI (Indonesian Down Syndrome Association), Yayasan Mitra Netra, Yayasan Tunarungu Sehjira, and Diffa Magazine. Thus, every type of disability—physical, intellectual, visual, and hearing impairments—was represented to express themselves in the performance.
Nina, one of the audience members, also shared her opinion. She admitted that it was her first time witnessing people with disabilities perform live on stage. “All this time, people with disabilities have been considered a marginalized group. And with this event, that notion has been proven wrong,” she said. (RR)