VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta -  Indonesia's Ministry of Social Affairs will showcase 590 modern wheelchairs, which have been designed keeping the safety and comfort of persons with disabilities in mind, at the ASEAN High-Level Forum (AHLF).

In a statement issued on Thursday, an instructor for wheelchair assembly, Muchtar Kusuma, said that the wheelchairs are among the ministry's concrete steps to expand accessibility, which is one of the principles for fulfilling the basic rights of persons with disabilities promoted by the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan (AEM).

The ASEAN High-Level Forum (AHLF) on Disability Inclusive Development and Partnership Beyond 2025 will be held on October 10–12, 2023, in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"The Soeharso (Social) Center produces three kinds of wheelchairs. The wheelchair design is with attention to provide safety and comfort to users," he said.

The center has built 100 multipurpose wheelchairs, 300 adaptive wheelchairs, and 190 electric wheelchairs.

Multipurpose wheelchairs are intended for people with paraplegia, poliomyelitis in both legs, and cerebral palsy or diplegia.

"This type of wheelchair provides further mobility, more safety, and is easy to be carried around because it is foldable," Kusuma said.

Multipurpose wheelchairs are equipped with a hydraulic system that can move the backrest to support the user in a standing position.

The wheelchairs can also be used for physiotherapy, such as training for leg muscle endurance and stiff legs.

Meanwhile, the adaptive wheelchairs have been designed to allow users to perform many activities for a long time period.

The wheelchairs, which are equipped with head and body braces, can be used by people with severe cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.

In addition, Kusuma said that the production of the wheelchairs has opened up job opportunities for people with disabilities, as the wheelchairs are assembled by trained disabled people.

(Antaranews)