Accessibility, governance, and evidence systems: A literature review of disability policy in Indonesia (2020–2025)

Abstract

Disability policy in Indonesia has advanced through rights-based legal reforms, yet translating commitments into inclusive practice remains uneven. This study aimed to map dominant themes in Indonesia’s disability policy literature (2020–2025), identify recurring implementation gaps, and derive evidence-informed policy implications. A literature review was conducted following PRISMA reporting guidance, applying PECO-based eligibility criteria to peer-reviewed studies indexed in Scopus and to relevant official policy documents. The included evidence (N = 8) was synthesised qualitatively through thematic synthesis to consolidate heterogeneous findings across legal, governance, and service-inclusion perspectives. Five cross-cutting themes emerged: (1) rights-based and anti-discrimination orientation, (2) accessibility and reasonable accommodation, (3) inclusion in basic services (health, education, employment, and social protection), (4) cross-sector governance and coordination, and (5) disability data and monitoring–evaluation capacity. Across themes, the most persistent gap was the de jure-de facto divide, in which legal recognition is not consistently embedded into enforceable standards, budgeted routines, and accountable delivery systems, particularly within decentralised implementation. Policy implications highlight the need to institutionalise accessibility and accommodation standards, strengthen inter-agency coordination and oversight pathways, and improve disaggregated disability data to enable measurable evaluation and learning.