Companies Told to Assess Function, Not Disability: 1 Percent Quota Still a Major Challenge
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- Pengamat ketenagakerjaan Timboel Siregar menegaskan perusahaan seharusnya menilai kemampuan fungsional pelamar, bukan kondisi fisik semata, dalam rekrutmen penyandang disabilitas.
- Kewajiban kuota 1 persen untuk swasta dan 2 persen untuk pemerintah serta BUMN/BUMD sudah diatur UU Nomor 8 Tahun 2016, tetapi pelaksanaannya di lapangan masih jauh dari harapan.
- Tanpa pengawasan serius dari pemerintah, kebijakan inklusif berisiko hanya menjadi formalitas administratif yang tidak mengubah nasib penyandang disabilitas di pasar kerja.
JAKARTA — The debate over the recruitment of people with disabilities has resurfaced after labor observer Timboel Siregar argued that companies remain stuck on a physical approach when screening applicants. According to him, the main consideration should be the work functions a person can still perform, not the type of disability they have. This view emerges amid the low realization of the disability workforce quota mandated by law long ago.
Timboel gave an example: an applicant with a visual impairment still has a strong chance of being hired if the position applied for does not require full visual ability. "For instance, they have a limitation in their eyes, but they can still perform certain functions. In fact, they can still be recruited," he said when contacted on Thursday (24/9/2026). He added that this kind of approach ensures companies do not merely discharge an obligation but also gain workers who genuinely contribute.
The problem, Timboel said, is that many companies open vacancies for people with disabilities without understanding the essence of inclusion. As a result, recruitment proceeds half-heartedly, and those who are hired are often placed in positions that do not match their capacity. He urged that application and interview opportunities be opened as widely as possible, so companies can directly assess applicants' competence and people with disabilities have a chance to prove their abilities.
The quota obligation is not new. The regulation has been available for nearly a decade, yet reports from various regions show that many companies have not complied. Timboel called the gap between the norm and practice a homework assignment for the government. "In practice, many indeed do not carry it out, but it is the government's job to escort that law into implementation," he stressed. He argued that without firm sanctions and periodic oversight, the rule will only be a display on paper.
For businesses, disability recruitment is often seen as adding operational burden. In fact, a number of international studies show that an inclusive workforce can increase employee loyalty, enrich team perspectives, and expand market reach. Companies that manage diversity well tend to be more adaptive to change. Unfortunately, this awareness has not become ingrained in Indonesia, especially in medium and small private sectors that are the backbone of employment absorption.
On the oversight side, the government has instruments through the Ministry of Manpower and regional manpower offices. However, without transparent reporting data, it is difficult to measure how far companies comply. Timboel stressed the importance of periodic reports and labor audits that include disability indicators. This step, according to him, would give positive pressure for companies to seriously open equal access to work.
"Second, of course, just open the space for people with disabilities to submit their applications and interview. Then it comes back to the subjectivity of the company in choosing which person with a disability can indeed contribute to the company." — Timboel Siregar, Labor Observer
For readers in Indonesia, this issue is not merely about social justice but also about economic competitiveness. With the demographic bonus set to peak in the coming years, ignoring the potential of people with disabilities means discarding a significant productive resource. The number of working-age people with disabilities in Indonesia is estimated at millions, and most still face structural barriers to entering the formal labor market.
Investors and business players need to watch this development because inclusive employment policy could become part of good corporate governance criteria in investment assessment. Companies that lag in inclusive practices may face reputational and regulatory risks in the future. Conversely, those that improve early can reap the benefits of a more diverse and loyal workforce.
Going forward, the question is no longer whether companies are able to employ people with disabilities, but how quickly the government and businesses move from merely meeting quotas toward meaningful inclusion. Without breakthroughs in oversight and incentives, the 1 percent and 2 percent targets will remain numbers on paper, far from the reality in recruitment rooms.
