The outbreaks of the Indonesian revolutionary war (1945-1950) created large numbers of people with disabilities. The situation raised the concern of developing a prosthesis to support these people. Dr. Suharso, an orthopedics surgeon, pioneered the establishment of a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities in Surakarta, Central Java.



The Rehabilitation Center Surakarta became Asia’s first and largest rehabilitation center that offered the integrated concept of rehabilitation services. In its development, it served as the referral center not only in Indonesia but also in the Asia-Pacific region in the 1950s-1970s since it not only provided medical treatment, but also the empowerment of the economy, social, and culture of the people with disabilities.



The achievements signified a pivotal moment in the medical treatment innovation for people with disabilities. One of the tremendous innovations was rehabilitating and giving them a second chance to find jobs and improve their lives. Essentially, the equal treatment for women and girls with disabilities were highly portrayed in this collection.



The archives consist of textual (475 files), photographic (2157 sheets [1657 processed and 500 unprocessed]), and information about the history of the development of rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities.