Transcript for ‘The Door is Open’

The video starts with Ariani Soekanwo, a 76-year-old Indonesian woman with low vision, wearing an orange hijab with a silver brooch, and red lipstick. Soekanwo is the founder of PPUA Disabilitas (Center for Election Access of Citizens with Disabilities). Four picture frames, including persons with disabilities at voting booths, are hung on a wall behind her. Urgent keyboard music with strings plays in the background throughout the duration of the video. Soekanwo, speaking in Bahasa Indonesia, says, “My name is Ariani Soekanwo.”

Cut to Ariani Soekanwo speaking into a microphone at a meeting. She is wearing a yellow hijab, a yellow blouse with multi-colored designs, and red lipstick. A beige wall is in the background. 

Cut to Soekanwo speaking in front of the picture frames. “I’ve been involved in the disability movement since I was a college student.”

Cut to the PPUA logo on a white screen. The PPUA logo is a blue ballot box with blue text that says, “PUSAT PEMILU AKSES DIABILITAS” (Disability Access Election Center). Four accessibility icons are at the bottom of the box. 

Cut to Soekanwo speaking in front of the picture frames. “The Center for Election Access of Citizens with Disabilities (PPUA) was established on April 24, 2002.”

Cut to a black text on a yellow screen that says, “Until the 1990s, Indonesian Election Law prohibited persons with disabilities from running for parliament, and voting places were often inaccessible to voters with disabilities.”

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “Before the PPUA, the general election law was very discriminatory against people with disabilities.”

Cut to a photo of various people outside. A man, wearing glasses and a red shirt with blue designs, lifts a woman in a wheelchair up. The woman with a disability is wearing a blue button-down shirt and has neck-length black hair. A second man wearing a white shirt with blue designs and blue jeans lifts the front part of the wheelchair up.

Cut to a photo of a woman wearing black glasses and a red shirt. She reaches her left hand up to put a ballot in a white ballot box. Black letters that say “KPU” are on the ballot box. A woman with short black hair, wearing a blue-and-white checkered shirt, is in the background

Soekanwo’s voiceover continues, “In exercising the rights to vote, to be elected, and to be election organizers.” Cut to a photo of two men at a desk covered in a pink tablecloth. The table is stacked with ballots with blue, red, green, and yellow rectangles at the top of them. One man at the desk is standing up. He is wearing glasses and a light blue shirt with blue designs. A white sheet of paper with black text attached to a white string is around his neck. A turquoise plastic chair is behind him. The man standing up gives another man with no arms a ballot with a yellow border at the top. The man with no arms grabs the front end of the ballot with his mouth. Another man, wearing a green shirt with black designs stands to the left of the man with no arms. A third man seated at the table is wearing a beige and brown shirt and is writing on a ballot, on the right side of the photo. A door in the background with a white sheet of paper on it says, “KELUAR” (Go out).

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “After about 15 years of PPUA’s struggle, people with disabilities currently have the right to vote.” Cut to a personal assistant helping a woman who is blind cast a ballot in a white ballot box that says “KPU” in black text. The woman is wearing a brown hijab, black sunglasses, and a purple blouse. The personal assistant is wearing a white shirt, a white taqiyah, and an orange lanyard around his neck. A second man near the personal assistant and the woman who is blind is wearing a white shirt and an orange lanyard, too. People are standing and seated behind them. Some are taking photos, and others are shooting video footage. Camera flashes go off in the background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “Directly, publicly, freely, confidentially, honestly, and fairly.”

Cut to a man with a physical disability who uses crutches as he moved around a voting place with a ballot with a red rectangle at the top in his hand. Some people are seated at a green desk, some are standing up, and others are taking photos or video footage. Camera flashes go off in the background. The man with a physical disability is wearing a black shirt and pants. He passes by multiple ballot boxes resting on a brown table.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “They have also been able to get the right to be elected as a member of parliament and also to be governor and president as well as mayor.” Cut to pan shot of a white Indonesian parliament building with yellow text on the right exterior that says, “MAJELIS PERMUSYAWARATAN RAKYAT/ DEWAN PERWAKILAN RAKYAT/ DEWAN PERWAKILAN DAERAH” (Public Assembly/ Council of People’s Representatives/ Regional Representative Council). There is an orange design on the left wall of the right exterior. Cars are parked by the building. A long pool with a sculpture is to the left of the building and the parking lot, too. There are other several buildings in the background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “And the opportunity has opened up to become election organizer members, members of Bawaslu and KPU.” Cut to a close-up of black text on a white surface that says “KPU.” A few people, election workers sorting ballots, stand together in the blurred background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “So now young people with disabilities want to be active in understanding democracy.”

Cut to a woman in a wheelchair. She is wearing a purple hijab and a black shirt and is folding her ballot at a voting booth. A semi-opened ballot box that says, “KPU,” in black text is on a green table covered in a multi-colored tablecloth. Camera flashes go off in the background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “And can participate in exercising their right to vote.”

Cut to a man posing for photos at a voting place. He is holding his left pinky finger up; the tip of his finger is covered in black ink. He is wearing a black shirt with brown designs over a white collared shirt. Another man with a physical disability is holding ballots behind him. A man wearing a white shirt, beige pants, and an orange lanyard around his neck, motions the man with a physical disability to the right. Some people are standing and others are seating at a green table with blue chairs in the background, others are taking photos or shooting video footage. People are talking and cameras flashes and clicks go off in the background.

Cut to a close-up of the man with ink on his finger posing for the cameras. He is holding various ballots. A woman wearing an orange hijab and a black shirt with brown designs is standing behind him. She is holding her phone. A “KPU” ballot box is resting on a table on the right. Several people are seated and others are walking around in the background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “Because this is now open, although it is not easy yet, but the door is open so we have to be brave to enter to get involved as election organizers and parliament members.”

Cut to a slow zoom-out shot of a long pool and sculpture in front of the Indonesian parliament building. Cars are parked by the parliament building on the right. Other buildings are in the background.

Cut to an overhead shot of a person helping a man with a physical disability, who is holding crutches, dip his left pinky finger in a pot of black ink. The pot of ink is on a green table covered in a multi-colored tablecloth. He is wearing a black shirt with brown designs and a ring on his left finger. On the right, a white ballot box with black text on it that says “KPU” rests on a brown table. Camera flashes go off in the background.

Cut to another shot of the man with a physical disability, who uses crutches, moving towards a “KPU” ballot box to cast his vote. Several camera crews and photographers in the background are capturing the moment, camera flashes go off in the background.

Cut to a close-up shot of another man with a physical disability moving toward the ballot boxes on a green table covered in a multi-colored table cloth. He is wearing a black shirt with brown designs with a long-sleeve gray shirt underneath. Camera flashes go off in the background.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “With the full participation of people with disabilities being willing to show their existence in the election.”

Cut to four election workers gathered at a table covered in a white tablecloth and counting ballots. One woman on the far left is wearing a white blouse, a white bracelet, an orange hijab, and a black lanyard around her neck. She is standing next to large sheets of paper hung on a large white pinboard in the background A second woman on the left is wearing a white button-down shirt with a blue border, glasses, a watch, a ring on her right hand, and a black lanyard around her neck. On the right, a man wearing an orange button-down shirt with multi-colored designs is holding a ballot up. He is also wearing a black-and-white watch. A second man on the far right is wearing a white shirt and an orange cap with white text on it. He has a black lanyard around his neck. The woman on the left hands a ballot to the man on the right. Soekanwo’s voiceover continues, “Then the officials and candidates, those who will hold power, will pay attention to the fulfillment of disability rights, create programs and make budgets for disability needs.”

Cut to a close-up of two Indonesian flags on a flag pole, each with one red and one white horizontal stripe, on a pole outside. The sky outside is clear and blue. The flags blow in the wind.

Cut to Soekanwo speaking, “If we don’t show our existence, then our rights will be ignored.”

Fade to black text with a yellow border on a black screen that says, “Copyright – @2022 PPUA Disabilitas. All rights reserved.”

Fade to black text with a yellow border on a black screen that says, “Made with support from the Disability Justice Project and Disability Rights Fund.” The Disability Justice Project logo is a large yellow “D” with a black play button in the middle to signify video storytelling, and white text says “Disability Justice Project” on the bottom left. The Disability Rights Fund logo –  a white box with black text that says, “Disability Rights Fund” – is on the bottom right of the screen.