171

Journal  of  ICSAR
ISSN (print): 2548-8619; ISSN (online): 2548-8600
Volume 2 Number 2 July 2018

Life Skills Education for People with Disabilities 
at Blind Orphanage “Tuah Sakato” West Sumatra Indonesia

Jendriadi, Warlan Sukandar, Rona Rossa
STKIP Adzkia Padang, Indonesia
Email : rumbenasli@yahoo.co.id

Abstract: This research was done because there is still the wrong assumption in the society that it will be 
ashamed if one of the family members has suffered from a disability.  Even, they do not ready to receive 
him. One of the disabilities cases is blind. It is indicated by not being able to see either totally or partially. 
The blind people are caused by the different background. Some suffer are congenital birth, this blindness 
occurred since  they were born. Then, The others happened when they are still teenagers and even adults, 
which is caused by several factors such as illness, accident, style of reading, or blindness is an undetectable 
cause. This research tries to reveal the various life skills education provided by the administrators of 
Blind Orphanage Tuah Sakato in West Sumatera so that the cynical and apathetic impression on the blind 
disabled patients will be reduced or even lost by knowing the various life skills that they get during their 
education. Thus, there is no longer the assumption that people with blind disabilities are only used as a 
sacrifice for begging on the streets or just working as a masseur only. In addition, this research also tries to 
describe the impression of alumni after taking education at Blind Orphanage Tuah Sakato West Sumatra 
Indonesia. The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive with direct participation approach. 
The techniques used are observation, interview and participate in their daily activities. The results of this 
field research obtained a lot of information about life skills provided by the managers for their students. By 
providing many life skills, their students are ready to return to the community. There are many life skills 
that are providing there. They are; preparatory classes, massaging skills by recognizing the structure of 
the human body, the ability of foreign languages, the ability to cook, the ability to play music, memorize 
the Qoran and recitation of the Qoran with rhythm, the ability to make speeches and they also got the 
counseling guidance so that they can be optimistic to look for their future. From the interviews that the 
authors conducted to the alumni of  Blind Orphanage Tuah Sakato who had completed his education there, 
the results obtained that 90 percent said they are very satisfied with life skills education that has been 
given by the managers of Blind Orphanage Tuah Sakato  and they feel like getting a new family and they 
are also assisted to find work.
Keywords: life skills education, disability, blind

INTRODUCTION

Education is a process of self-realization in which 
an individual realizes and develops all of his potential. 
Education can take place at any time and in any place. 
Everyone, both children and adults, experience the 
process of education through what is encountered 
or what is done. According Hamalik (2005) that 
the function of education is essentially, is to prepare 
learners “Prepare” means that learners are essentially 
not ready, but need to be prepared and is preparing 
itself. This refers to the process that takes place before 
the learners are ready to plunge into real life.

Education when associated with the discussion of 
Life Skills (life skills) focused on schools and schooling 
systems, departing from the universalization that 
continues to expand and increase. Life skills, especially 
day-to-day life skills, are increasingly perceived as 
important for personal and collective lives that often 
face the phenomena of life with issues at the private, 
local, national, regional and global levels

Almost everyone is educated and conducts 
education. Because education is never separated from 
human life. Children receive education from their 
parents and when the children are moving towards 
adulthood, they are also tasked to educate their children 
(Pidarta, 2013)

One of the hallmarks of community life is 
a continuous and sustainable change known as 
modernization. People’s lives enter a new phase, 
globalization. The advancement of information 
technology has eliminated geographical and cultural 
barriers.

Since there is no more partition in the nature 
of nan has seemed to shrink this, in fact there is no 
partition between us in particular in terms of achieving 
education. Education does not recognize boundaries of 
race, religion and even physical.

Nevertheless, the discrimination felt by people 
with disabilities still continues today even though the 
quantity has begun to decrease. Anni for example, 
Since childhood she suffered from polio. Conditions 



172 Journal of ICSAR; Volume 2, Number 2, July 2018: 171-174

known that Soleh was a blind
“Obviously there was a summons for me, but the 

campus did not know I was a person with a disability. 
When I arrived, they were shocked, and then I was 
rejected for a variety of reasons, like no lecturer for 
people with disabilities. Just keep saying, let’s just 
say I’m not there. Let me adjust that later. Whether I 
will succeed or not, that will be my business. Consider 
all the same and treat all students in the same way, 
“said Akhmad Soleh. Soleh also considered that 
many schools are labeled inclusive but have not fully 
understood the concept and ideology. Settling needs to 
be done, and the main thing is to improve the school 
manager’s mindset. Persons with disabilities need not 
be privileged, they should be treated equally. If the 
education sector is more friendly, they can prove that 
limitations are not an obstacle. Anni Juwairiyah is a 
women’s organization activist and has been a member 
of East Kalimantan Legislative Council.

While Akhmad Soleh was able to hold a 
doctorate, worked as a civil servant in Bantul Regency, 
Yogyakarta, and taught at several universities.

As academics, of course we have a very strategic 
role so there is no more gap between disabled and non-
disability. If one may wish, no one is willing to seek 
trials with either partial or total loss of sight. But the 
wheels of life must run, they have hope to welcome a 
much brighter future ahead of the limitations they have.

They do not need to be pitied, they do not need to 
be spoiled, they just need a belief from us that they also 
have the abilities that normal people has. Like an angler 
language, they do not need fish, but they just need a bait 
so they can survive in a long time. The fishing line they 
expect is called skill or life skills to make them grow 
and grow.

The era that we are currently passing is already 
must demanding people to be a winner by risking 
competence. The main source of competence is good 
human resources (Anwar, 2004)

In the root words, according to Sumarni (2002) 
skills is another meaning of the skill. But this concept 
seems too narrow from the true meaning. so the term 
skills can be interpreted with other contexts of skill.

The function of learning life skills education 
is to help guide, train, encourage, shape and develop 
the learning function that is done by and become the 
responsibility of the teacher, that is the teacher or the 
trainer so that the student can make changes to him 
according to the purpose (Alquranulkarim Digital, 
2017)

Therefore, with life skills education will be able 
to provide supplies to anyone without knowing any 
status. Because in the eyes of God all we have the same 
rights. What distinguishes others is the level of piety. 
As contained in the Qur’an letter of al-Hujurat verse 13

that force her to use a wheelchair wherever go. School 
times are the heaviest period her feels as a child. She 
told of how hurt she was when she saw other children 
taking gym or dancing lessons, while she could only sit 
in front of the class.

Fortunately, her parents in Kebumen, Central Java 
trained her for a strong mentality. Despite facing many 
obstacles to education in public schools, in fact Anni 
can get through all that. Even up to the college bench at 
Sebelas Maret University, Solo, Central Java.

Whereas according to Anni, inclusive schools 
have many roles for people with disabilities. Not only 
to gain knowledge, learning in public schools gives 
them the opportunity to foster self-confidence.

Now she is the Chairman of the Indonesian 
Association of Persons with Disabilities in East 
Kalimantan. She is also active in Aisyiah women’s 
organizations, and encourages local governments to 
open inclusive schools for people with disabilities in 
the province. Unfortunately according to her, many 
schools only put inclusive predicate without applying 
the correct system. But so far, there has been no 
positive response from the education environment. 
“If we want to lead to an inclusive society, I think it 
is more appropriate that the education system being 
implemented is inclusive education. So not with special 
schools for people with disabilities only. This system 
has advantages, such as people with disabilities will 
feel confident, not distinguished from others, and get 
nothing like the other kids get. This system is also more 
competition for people with disabilities, competing with 
other students despite their limitations, “she continued.

A similar experience is experienced by Akhmad 
Soleh. He is a blind doctor who graduated from the 
State Islamic University, Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta. 
Various refusals are always given by the school 
manager he wants to attend, from elementary, junior 
high, to university. Not infrequently, parents and 
themselves have to argue with school leaders in 
Kudus or Pemalang, Central Java, where he spent his 
childhood and adolescence.

Many schools refuse to accept Akhmad Soleh by 
reason of not having teachers who can teach the blind. 
He sometimes even had to ask the school manager 
to assume he was not in the class, and carry out the 
teaching and learning process as usual. Soleh did not 
ask to be privileged and considered to have special 
needs.

What he remembers most is when a private 
university where he has received his undergraduate 
education refuses to accept it, even though he has 
sent a notification letter received as a student. Soleh 
had taken the entrance exam at the university and was 
graduated. The university then sent a summons to send 
Soleh to college. On the first day of Soleh’s arrival to 
the university, there was a rejection because it was only 



173Jendriadi, Warlan S, Rona R, Life Skills Education for People with Disabilities at Blind . . . .

Bunda, Kalumbuk, Kuranji Subdistrict, Padang City of 
West Sumatra. This orphanage has the content of being 
a leading and reputable social service and rehabilitation 
institution in Sumatra to produce ethical and ethical 
disabilities  people with the skills to live independently. 
While the mission of this social home is to improve the 
professionalism of structural, functional, technical and 
managerial officials in quantity and quality, increase 
cooperation with various levels of work, optimize the 
potential and social resources, improve facilities and 
infrastructure disabilities services, and empower the 
potential and service recipient capabilities.

Based on the PSBN booklet state that PSBN 
of West Sumatra Provinces (2017) that people with 
disabilities are people who can not see because the eye 
is damaged or can not count the fingers at a distance of 
1 meter in front of it by using the sense of sight. Bina 
Netra is a social home that provides social rehabilitation 
to people with disabilities.

As for the purpose of providing services to clients 
is to restore a sense of self-esteem, self-confidence, love 
of work, awareness for achievement and responsibility 
to family and society. Furthermore, to improve the 
physical and skill abilities in social life, increasing 
the participation of families and communities in the 
business, the welfare of disabled people inadequate 
massage skills. according to (Hadi, 2005) that blind is 
another term of visual impairment.

Life Skills Education for Disabled People at Bina Netra 
Social Institution of West Sumatera

Mukti (2004) state that the purpose of life the skills 
development orientation is to provide a meaningful 
learning experience for learners that matches what 
is needed in everyday life. indeed, disabled persons 
including the blind have the same right and opportunity 
to receive education, whether it be Islamic religious 
education or awards.

Based on the results of observations and 
interviews of the authors with some speakers at social 
institutions Bina Netra West Sumatra, administrators 
trying to provide excellent service to the clients with 
full affection and patience. Beyond what the authors 
estimate, there are many life skills given to clients. 
initially, the authors suspect that the life skills received 
by clients who are studying at social institutions bina 
netra is the ability of massage alone. Apparently 
everything is not right. Due to many other skills they 
get among them.

Physical and Mental Guidance
Almost all clients are not ready with the conditions 

they are experiencing. The only thing ready is a person 
who from birth has a vision defect. With their closed 

“O mankind, We created you from a man and a woman 
and made you nation and tribe so that you may know 
one another. Verily the most honorable among you by 
Allah is the most pious among you. Allah is the Knower, 
the Knower.

METHOD

This research is a research that will examine the 
problems that are social and dynamic. Therefore, the 
research method that researchers use is qualitative 
research to determine how to find, collect, process and 
analyze data research results. This qualitative research 
can be used to understand social interaction, for 
example by in-depth interviews so that clear patterns 
will be found.

In this study the researcher chose the type of 
qualitative research then the data obtained must be 
deep, clear and specific. Further explained by Sugiyono 
(2009) that the collection of data can be obtained from 
the results of observation, interview, documentation, 
and combined / triangulation. In this study researchers 
used data collection techniques with observation, 
documentation, and interviews.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Profile of Bina Netra Social Institution of West Sumatera
PSBN Tuah Sakato was built on  July 22 1993 

through the assistance of OECF Japan LOAN of 
fiscal year 1992/1993 and 1997/1998. Panti started to 
operate on December 2, 1994 with the initial number of 
clients 20 people for the working area of West Sumatra 
province. As of April 1, 1995 the number of clients plus 
to 30 people and then on April 1, 1996 increased again 
to 50 people until now.

On April 1, 1998, Eselonering came down as an 
orphanage in social department with type B through 
Minister of Social Affairs Decree No 25 / HUK / 
1998 dated April 15, 1999. Then in December 1998 a 
structural official was assigned and changed the name of 
the institution from PSBN Kalumbuk Padang to PSBN 
Tuah Sakato Padang. With the enactment of law No.22 
of 1999 on OTODA and continued with the governor’s 
decision number 22 of 201 on continued organization 
and administration of the technical implementation of 
the service, the PSBN Tuah Sakato become UPTD in 
the social offices of West Sumatra.

Bina Netra social house is located at Wisma 



174 Journal of ICSAR; Volume 2, Number 2, July 2018: 171-174

vision they did not mean they were safe. They are still 
struggling to get treatment at the community sense 
health center. Because, if not treated their eyes will 
become enlarged and will have a bad effect on their 
eyesight.

In the activities of physical and mental guidance, 
there are some activities that they get among them 
sports guidance, orientation and mobility guidance, 
health guidance, character guidance, guidance of 
Islamic studies and maintenance of personal and family 
health. When Ramadhan is coming, the clients must 
attend Pesantren Ramadhan so that they understand 
with Islamic value and also they be a mubaligh to 
inform about of  Islamic religion to the society. One of 
their activities we can see in the figure below.

Social Guidance
There are some services that clients obtain by 

clients related to social guidance among others; 
guidance of daily life, guidance of relations and social 
integrase, recreation and meeting of children and 
parents of clients.

Business / work skills guidance
Some of the guidance obtained by clients include 

massage and Sihatsu, fingerprinting skills, traditional 
musical instrument skills, voice vocal guidance, handy 
craft skills, Braille Arabic courses and computer 
program braile.

Entrepreneurship guidance
One of the most central concepts of life skill 

education programs is that education is expected to 
solve problems that arise because education must be 
able to synergize lessons into a life skill or skill in 
the hope that graduates will be able to solve problems 
which he is and will face. One of them is to create a 
job.

Although not able to see, the students in panti 
Bina Netra still taught skills that support them to be 

independent. one of which is by training the flower 
arranging using the sense of touch they have. they 
participate in the  training of activities and skills 
training with passion and enthusiasm. for more details 
we can see on the figure below. 

CONCLUSIONS

From the results of observations and interviews of 
authors with resource persons in the social organs blind 
Kalumbuk obtained conclusion that basic education 
is a process realized by individuals who should not 
discriminate the physical background of a person. All 
are entitled to be treated fairly and humanely.

There are several life skills acquired by clients 
in the social estates of neighboring West Sumatra, 
including: physical and mental guidance, social 
guidance, business / work skills guidance and 
entrepreneurial guidance.

REFERENCES

Alquranulkarim Digital. (2017). Quoted from https://
tafsirq.com/49-al-hujurat/ayat-13.

Anwar. (2004). Life Skills Education, Concepts and 
Applications. Bandung : Alfabeta.

Hadi, P. (2005). Independence of the Blind. Jakarta : 
Kemendiknas.

Hamalik, O. (2005). Curriculum and Learning. Jakarta: 
Bumi Aksara.

Mukti, A. (2004). Buletin LPM of Education, Quantum 
Transformation of Idealisme. Malang: UIN 
Maulana Malik Ibrahim Tarbiyah Faculty.

Pidarta, M. (2013). The Foundation of Education. 
Jakarta : Rineka Cipta.

Sumarni, S. (2002). Journal of Islamic Education 
Science. Yogyakarta : UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

Sugiyono. (2009). Quantitative Research Methods, 
Qualitative and R & D. Bandung: Alfabeta.