Page 26 - Mainstreamer Volume 1, Issue 4, November 2023

TRANSGRESSING NATIONAL BOUNDARIES
Intersecting Perspectives on Disability, ASEAN Identity and the Imperative

of Regional Inclusion

Noraisah
Yusop

he impact of the post-COVID-19 pandemic initiatives and agreements. The “ASEAN Enabling
and how it intersects with the challenges Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of
Tand opportunities facing persons with Persons with Disabilities” aligned with the United
disabilities (PWD) in ASEAN countries conveys Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
the idea that the post-pandemic job market shifts Disabilities (CRPD), the Implementation of the
can significantly affect this group. The pandemic CRPD (ACICRPD), ASEAN Decade of Persons with
has disrupted the supportive environments Disabilities (2011–2020) together with subregional
and services PWD rely on, which are crucial for frameworks, 2030 Agenda and Jakarta Declaration,
their well-being and independence. The lack of a disability-inclusive environment can be a tangible
widespread awareness and understanding within outcome. ASEAN has been actively working
the ASEAN communities regarding their needs, towards community-building efforts through the
rights, capabilities and prevailing stereotypes often ASEAN Socio Cultural Community (ASCC) pillar,
hinder the full integration of PWD into various encompassing issues related to social inclusion,
facets of society. The post-COVID era thus further including disability rights.
accentuates the significance of addressing this All ten ASEAN member states express a
matter. commitment to establishing inclusive systems
PWD feel disconnected and alienated from for PWD as evidenced by their dedication to
the special treatment they received. The social international, regional and domestic frameworks.
barriers model contends that society’s response Nevertheless, inclusive means more than simply
to an impairment disables a person, not the placing disabled individuals in a workforce or public
1
impairment itself. The emphasis should be on setting. In other words, achieving meaningful
creating an enabling and sensitive condition for inclusion requires more than surface-level changes;
all, as the challenge lies not in the disability but in it necessitates a holistic transformation of societal
accessibility. The disability is an identity that can attitudes to ensure that PWD are fully integrated
happen to anyone – one can be born or made with into all aspects of society. Policies related to PWD
or without any impairment. This situation makes it can only be effective when they incorporate their
even more important to be addressed rightfully. insights to “Make the Right Real” by collaborating
with PWD, their organisations and the private

Identity and Inclusion sector.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Despite the diversity in religions, cultural
(ASEAN) can play a role to actualise the “we norms and developmental state orientation, the
2
feeling” among the diverse communities, “ASEAN Way” has been an important source of
including the PWD, to actively participate in regional collective identity that can be a good
public space and labour force by fostering a more non-confrontational tool. This mechanism fits
inclusive and accepting environment. ASEAN well with ASEAN for its tendency towards a strong
has taken steps to address the rights and well- reliance on state-driven integration, a deficiency in
being of people with disabilities through various institutionalisation and the reinforcing democratic
1 C. N. Langworthy & E. C. Wong-Kim. 2004. Asian Americans with Disabilities: Influence of the Disability Rights Movement on Culturally Competent Social
Work Practice. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/211325595.pdf
2 Acharya, Amitav. 1997. Ideas, identity, and institution-building: From the ‘ASEAN way’ to the ‘Asia-Pacific way’? The Pacific Review 10(3), 319–346.

25 November 2023 | Vol. 01, Issue 4