Businesses for People with Disabilities in the Digital Age:Protected or Neglected? Revitalizing the Law for an Equal Ecosystem
Keywords:
Disability, Economi, Digital, Law, RevitalisationAbstract
Digital transformation offers significant economic opportunities, yet disabled entrepreneurs in Indonesia still face the risk of marginalization due to the gap between normative legal guarantees and the reality of digital inclusion. This study aims to analyze the legal and non-legal challenges faced by disabled entrepreneurs in the digital ecosystem, evaluate the effectiveness of the national legal framework (particularly Law No. 8 of 2016), and formulate a legal revitalization model to create an equitable digital ecosystem. Using normative legal research methods through statutory, conceptual, and comparative policy analysis approaches, this study concludes that disabled entrepreneurs are more likely to be "neglected" due to systemic barriers, such as the absence of mandatory legal standards for digital accessibility (WCAG), non-accommodative administrative procedures, vulnerability to cybercrime, as well as stigma and limited access to funding. Critical findings indicate that Law No. 8 of 2016 has not been operationalized into adequate technical regulations for the digital space. Therefore, this study recommends legal revitalization through regulatory harmonization, incentives for digital platforms, and a multi-stakeholder collaborative governance model. This revitalization is an absolute prerequisite for transforming the position of disabled entrepreneurs from "neglected" to "protected" in an inclusive and equitable digital ecosystem.
References
Ahadi, L. M. A. (2022). Efektivitas Hukum dalam Perspektif Filsafat Hukum: Relasi Urgensi Sosialisasi terhadap Eksistensi Produk Hukum. Jurnal Usm Law Review, 5(1), 110–127. https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v5i1.4965
Alabshar, N., Pujiwati, L. A., Munawaroh, T., & Fatoni, Z. (2024). Disability and Extreme Poverty in Indonesia: Analysis of National Socio-Economic Survey Data in 2020. Jurnal Kawistara, 14(1),
https://doi.org/10.22146/kawistara.83519
Amaliah, St. M., Hafiar, H., & Dewi, R. (2023). Analisis Aksesibilitas Website Pemerintah Provinsi Indonesia Sebagai Implementasi Corporate Digital Responsibility terhadap E-Government. Prologia, 7(2), 473–486. https://doi.org/10.24912/pr.v7i2.24456
Anderson, S., & Bigby, C. (2023). ‘Nothing about us without us’. Including Lived Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Policy and Service Design. In Disability Practice: Safeguarding Quality Service Delivery (pp. 225–246). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- 981-99-6143-6_12
Audina Sukmawan, Y., & Damayanti, D. (2025). Metode Penelitian Hukum Normatif dan Empiris sebagai Strategi Penguatan Perspektif Kajian Ilmu Hukum. Notary Law Journal, 4(3), 114–128. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.32801/nolaj.v4i3.116
Azra, M. A., Surya Fernanda, H., Triadi, I., & Joesoef, I. E. (2025). Perlindungan Hak Cipta Terhadap Pemegang Hak Cipta Aplikasi Yang Diperjualbelikan Secara Ilegal di Internet. Jurnal Hukum Dan Kewarganegaraan, 14(6), 1. https://doi.org/10.3783/causa.v2i9.2461
Bintarti, S., & Setiawan, S. W. A. (2025, July 23). Menghapus Sekat, Membangun Suara: Komunikasi untuk Kesetaraan Disabilitas. Media Mahasiswa Indonesia.
Chi, N. T. K., Le, P., Hong, N. T. H., Anh, N. T., & Ha, T. T. (2023). The role of technology, governance mechanisms, and training in building digital platforms for disabled people’s employment. International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 15(3), 359–372. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPMB.2023.134150
Dahlan, M., & Anggoro, S. A. (2021). Hak atas Pekerjaan bagi Penyandang Disabilitas di Sektor Publik: Antara Model Disabilitas Sosial dan Medis. Undang: Jurnal Hukum, 4(1), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.22437/ujh.4.1.1-48
Dunan, A., Mudjiyanto, B., Karman, & Walujo, D. (2025). Unveiling Disability Empowerment: Evaluating ICT Skill Enhancement Initiatives in Indonesia. Media and Communication, 13. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.9078
Firdaus, I. (2024). Efektivitas UU Cipta Kerja dalam Melindungi Hak Pekerja Penyandang Disabilitas.
Jurnal Fakta Hukum, 2(2), 58–70. https://doi.org/10.58819/jfh.v2i2.115
Gupta, A., Yadav, M., & Nayak, B. K. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review on Inclusive Public Open Spaces: Accessibility Standards and Universal Design Principles. Urban Science, 9(6), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060181
Hafiar, H., Risanti, Y. D., Nurfadila, F., Ratnasari, E., Dipa, A. K., Nasrullah, R., & Safi, A. Q. (2025). Evaluating accessibility of e-health websites in Indonesia: Bridging the digital divide for people with disabilities. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 14(1), 377. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1572_24
Han, W., Liu, Z., Zeng, M., & Liu, L. (2025). Blockchain for inclusion: challenges and pathways to digital entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities in China. Disability & Society, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2025.2548453
Haris, F. I., Zaman, B., Kurniati, E., Apsari, N., Khoerunnisa, S., Sidqia, T. L., Shofia, A. F., Arini G, A., & Hamid, A. I. (2025). Universal Design For Learning (UDL) Dalam Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. Early Childhood Research Journal (ECRJ), 8(2), 248–257. https://doi.org/10.23917/ecrj.v8i2.11119
Hasbi, & Nofiani, N. S. (2024). Disability and Non-Disability in the Labour Market (the Case of Central Sulawesi), Indonesia. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(5), e07201. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n5-130
Jetha, A., Bonaccio, S., Shamaee, A., Banks, C. G., Bültmann, U., Smith, P. M., Tompa, E., Tucker, L. B., Norman, C., & Gignac, M. A. M. (2023). Divided in a digital economy: Understanding disability employment inequities stemming from the application of advanced workplace technologies. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 3, 100293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100293
Liginlal, D., & Al-Emadi, S. (2026). Digital accessibility and equity: the need for stronger regulations and the imperative of innovation. Universal Access in the Information Society, 25(2), 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-025-01305-4
Maimunah, S., Cipta Apsari, N., & Abdul Rachim, H. (2024). Aksesibilitas Inklusif: Implementasi Infrastruktur Publik Ramah Disabilitas Di Indonesia (Sebuah Literatur Review). Focus : Jurnal Pekerjaan Sosial, 7(2), 250–276. https://doi.org/10.24198/focus.v7i2.60851
Martanti, G. (2023). Perlindungan Konsumen bagi Penyandang Disabilitas pada Sektor Perdagangan Online Berbasis Aplikasi Marketplace. JURNAL USM LAW REVIEW, 6(1), 242–259. https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v6i1.6387
Meliza Sari, P., Bachtiar, N., Ariyanto, E., & Putra, F. P. (2025). Digital inclusion and labor market outcomes for persons with disabilities in Indonesia: a comparative 3SLS study of entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial pathways. Cogent Economics & Finance, 13(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2025.2559041
Muryatini, N. N. (2024). Perlindungan Perlindungan Terhadap Perempuan Korban Kekerasan Berbasis Gender Online Dalam Era Digital. Jurnal Interpretasi Hukum, 5(2), 969–976. https://doi.org/10.22225/juinhum.5.2.10396.969-976
Noor, A., Maruf, Mawahib, M. Z., & Habib, M. A. (2025). Developing Inclusive Regulations for Muslim
Disabled Entrepreneurs’ Access to Sharia Fintech: Legal and Accessibility Perspectives. Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir’ah, 23(1), 70–86. https://doi.org/10.30984/jis.v23i1.3194
Nopiah, R., & Islami, P. A. (2022). Peran Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Digital Difa City Tour (Ojek Difa) Terhadap Kesejahteraan Penyandang Disabilitas Di Yogyakarta. Convergence: The Journal of Economic Development, 4(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.33369/convergencejep.v4i1.22890
Nuraliah, D., Rahmawati, R., Faisal, A. F., Medriansyah, M., & Kartika, P. (2025). Digital Divide dan Kemiskinan Struktural: Analisis Kesenjangan Akses Informasi di Majene. Komunikasiana: Journal of Communiction Studies, 7(2), 198–219. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.24014/kjcs.v7i2.38307
Nurlatifah, H., Arsyad, A. T., & Zarkasi, I. R. (2025). Sustainable growth of women-owned MSEs: The intersection of leadership, digital competence, and policy interventions. Journal of the International Council for Small Business, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/26437015.2025.2568917
Poerwanti, S. D., Makmun, S., & Dewantara, A. D. (2024). Jalan Panjang Menuju Inklusi Digital bagi Penyandang Disabilitas di Indonesia. Journal of Urban Sociology, 1(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.30742/jus.v1i1.3536
Potocka-Sionek, N., & Aloisi, A. (2021). The ILO and EU Agendas on the Digital Transformation of Work. International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, 37(Issue 1), 35–64. https://doi.org/10.54648/IJCL2021002
Putri, A. A., Wiryadi, U., & Nugraha, W. (2024). Perlindungan Hak Sosial Kewarganegaraan bagi Penyandang Disabilitas Intelektual dalam Lapangan Kerja. Jurnal Krisna Law, 6(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37893/krisnalaw.v6i2.899
Rinaldi, A., Mendra, R., Ihsan, M. T., Harahap, N. S., Afifah, D. D., & Arum, H. S. (2026). Enhancing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Riau Province through The Inclusion of Disabled Workers: A Pathway to Realizing Disability Rights. Multidisciplinary Science Journal,
(4). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2026224
Rohmah, M., Lituhayu, D., & Setianingsih, E. L. (2023). Implementasi Kebijakan Kuota Pekerja Penyandang Disabilitas Di Lingkungan Pemerintah Daerah Kabupaten Kebumen. Journal of Management and Public Policy, 3(12), 421–438. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14710/jppmr.v12i3.39846
Seixas Pereira, L., & Duarte, C. (2025). Evaluating and monitoring digital accessibility: practitioners’ perspectives on challenges and opportunities. Universal Access in the Information Society, 24(3), 2553–2571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-025-01210-w
Sukowati, P., Sukardi, S., Nelwan, V., & Nashihah, D. (2023). Disability to Improve the Quality and Effectiveness of Its Roles and Functions: Formidable Policy Challenges. WSEAS Transactions On Systems, 22, 711–726. https://doi.org/10.37394/23202.2023.22.72
Sulthony, A., Khan, A., Cahyo Nugroho, T., Wardani, A. E., & Ramadhan, M. N. (2025). Pelayanan Publik Inklusif di Era Digital: Studi Aksesibilitas Website Pemerintah Daerah bagi Penyandang Disabilitas. Pena Bangsa: Bisnis Dan Tata Kelola Publik Adaptif, 1(2), 3109–3973. https://doi.org/10.69616/pb.v1i2.307
Susilo, D., Ruswanti, D., & Cahyani, R. R. (2026). Penguatan Kemandirian Ekonomi bagi Masyarakat Disabilitas di PPDK Klaten melalui Digitalisasi UMKM Disabilitas dan Penguatan Kewirausahaan. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Dan Riset Pendidikan, 4(3), 17502–17505. https://doi.org/10.31004/jerkin.v4i3.4742
Syafiqoti, E. A., & Hadiati, T. (2023). Pemenuhan Hak Aksesibilitas Penyandang Disabilitas dalam Pelayanan Hukum. Manabia: Journal of Constitutional Law, 3(02), 257–268. https://doi.org/10.28918/manabia.v3i02.1410
Tamzini, K. (2024). Understanding the Relationship between Assistive Technologies and Disabled People’s Entrepreneurship. Jordan Journal of Business Administration, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.35516/jjba.v20i2.2010
Trielsa, C. J., & Angeline, M. (2023). The Effect of Inclusive Design on Easy Accessibility for Disabled E-Commerce Users in Indonesia. 17th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication (IMCOM), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/IMCOM56909.2023.10035640
Widhi Antoro, B. H., Widijantoro, J., & Hardjanti, D. K. (2021). Policy Development of Inclusion Village to Fulfill the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights, 5(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v5i1.18076
Zuboff, S. (2022). Surveillance Capitalism or Democracy? The Death Match of Institutional Orders and the Politics of Knowledge in Our Information Civilization. Organization Theory, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877221129290
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Siti Farhani, Muhammad Ridwan Fachri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
