Fighting for Inclusion: Disability Activism in Indonesia - Dr Thushara Dibley

Traditionally and historically, disability has widely been seen and treated as a medical impediment. For decades, the Indonesian Government perpetuated this medical model of disability, which focuses on what a person cannot do and cannot be. But in recent years, activists have challenged this notion, emphasizing that 'disability' is the result of the interaction between people living with impairments and an environment filled with physical, attitudinal, communication and social barriers. In this podcast, Dr Thushara Dibley chats with Dr Natali Pearson about disability activism in Indonesia, highlighting the success of local activists in changing Indonesian law and shifting attitudes in the broader population. About Dr Thushara Dibley: Thushara Dibley is the Deputy Director of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney. She researches social movements in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Her recent projects have focused on the role of NGOs in peace-building in Timor-Leste and Indonesia and on the disability movement in Indonesia. She is the author of 'Partnerships, Power and Peacebuilding: NGOs as Agents of Peace in Aceh and Timor-Leste' (2014) and co-editor of 'Activists in Transition: Progressive Politics in Democratic Indonesia' (2019). You can follow Thushara on Twitter @thushdibley.