Saifullah Yusuf Opens Pertuni National Working Meeting in Jakarta
Indonesia's Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf opened the Indonesian Blind Union's national working meeting at Sentra Handayani Jakarta on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The gathering brought together 150 participants from across the country to focus on an inclusive, adaptive and competitive economic ecosystem for people with visual impairments.
Support for the gathering
ANTARA Foto documented Yusuf addressing the opening ceremony of the Indonesian Blind Union, known as Pertuni. The meeting's theme is "Building an Inclusive, Adaptive, and Competitive Economic Ecosystem for the Visually Impaired."
The National Working Meeting, or Rakernas, was scheduled to run November 3-5 in South Jakarta, according to a July 2 report by RRI (Voice of Indonesia), citing the Ministry of Social Affairs. The ministry's logistical support included accommodation, meals, transportation and other event facilities.
Facilities, training and business access
The gathering follows a ministry commitment to help people with visual impairments become more economically independent. As of July 1, 2026, Yusuf said the ministry would support Pertuni through improvements to its building facilities, sustained skills training and broader business networks for members, RRI reported. The commitment covered both infrastructure and access to business-development opportunities.
Pertuni members had also participated in massage and reflexology training for people with visual impairments, conducted in stages from April through June 2026, Chairperson Setiawan Gema Budi told RRI.
Employment access and legal quotas
Employment figures reported by Kontan on May 7, 2026, show the limited reach of formal-sector work. Yayasan Mitra Netra reported that only about 1% of Indonesia's roughly 4.2 million people with visual or sensory disabilities were employed in the formal sector.
Citing 2024 data from BPS, the same report put employment participation among people with disabilities overall at 23.94%, out of a population of more than 17.8 million people with disabilities.
Indonesia's Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities requires employment quotas of at least 2% for people with disabilities in the civil service and state-owned enterprises, and 1% in private companies. Pertuni monitors the provision and advocates its enforcement, according to the organization's official institutional profile.
Pertuni's 60th anniversary year
Founded in Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, on January 26, 1966, Pertuni has grown to more than 26,000 blind and low-vision members. Its official institutional profile lists 35 provincial chapters and 293 local branches as of 2026.
Yusuf also attended the main celebration of Pertuni's 60th anniversary on January 25, 2026, at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Jakarta, alongside Pertuni founder Ariani Soekanwo. According to ANTARA Foto, the celebration's theme was "Six Decades Strengthening Independence, Moving, Empowering and Creating for an Inclusive Future."