Disability and Artistic Justice in Indonesia: Accessibility Rights of Artists with Disabilities in Public Cultural Institutions

Abstract

Persons with disabilities remain underrepresented in Indonesia's cultural and artistic institutions despite the growing recognition of disability rights. Barriers may arise from inaccessible exhibition venues, limited educational opportunities, inadequate funding, discriminatory assumptions, and the absence of inclusive curatorial practices. This article examines accessibility and equality for artists with disabilities in Indonesian public cultural institutions. Using normative juridical research and policy analysis, the study evaluates disability rights, cultural policy, public funding mechanisms, and accessibility standards. The article argues that formal recognition of disability rights is insufficient when cultural institutions continue to operate according to able-bodied assumptions concerning artistic production and participation. The study proposes an inclusive art governance framework requiring physical accessibility, accessible communication, inclusive selection procedures, reasonable accommodation, disability representation in cultural programming, and equitable access to public arts funding. Cultural institutions should also recognize artists with disabilities as professional creators rather than treating disability primarily as a subject for charitable programming. Such an approach would shift disability policy in the arts from welfare-based inclusion toward rights-based participation. The article concludes that artistic justice requires equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to create, exhibit, access, and participate in Indonesia's cultural ecosystem.