INDEPENDENT LIVING & TRAINING CENTRE MALAYSIA - (BADAN LATIHAN & HIDUP BERDIKARI MALAYSIA) LOT NO. 112, KG. SG. DUA TAMBAHAN, JALAN BATU ARANG, MUKIM RAWANG, 48000 RAWANG SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN TEL: 03-6093 6292 TEL/FAX: 03-6091 2531 Email: iltcmalaysia@gmail.com
NEW MINISTER FOR WELFARE MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
Disabled Members Protest
ILTC Malaysia members staged a protest outside JPJ Wangsamaju KL.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Penang to make public transport disabled-friendly by 2010
Penang to make public transport disabled-friendly by 2010
GEORGE TOWN: Penang will be the first Malaysian state to conduct a full audit of its public transport facilities while it develops a comprehensive blueprint to improve the access and mobility of people with disabilities by 2010.
The initiative to boost the economic and social independence of those with disabilities, will be done through a two-year pilot project by the state’s Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) to study how to create a barrier free public transportation in Penang.
UNPD Assistant Resident Representative James George Chacko said the ‘Transport for Persons with Disabilities - Support of the Development of Accessible Transport in Penang’ and its access audit on public buses, taxis, trains, ferries and airplanes as well as other infrastructures would lead to the development of a holistic transport improvement strategy that would in turn offer a framework for raising awareness levels in the general public.
“The audit will also look into pick-up points, road pavements and pathways emphasising on inter-connectivity. The findings of this audit will form the basis to develop an accessible public transport improvement master plan.
“The other initiatives to be undertaken in the coming months will include a demand responsive door-to-door transport service in Penang island; capacity building for disabled people in accessing public transportation; disability equality training for front line transport operators; training on access building requirements and universal design for contractors, architects and civil servants; designing a barrier-free bus stop model; and an awareness campaign,” he said at the launching ceremony of the UNPD-UPEN project at Dorsett Penang Hotel on Thursday.
Chacko also said the project was supported by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, and UNPD was confident with the project’s strong rationality, it would receive the necessary financial backing of the Federal Government.
“The project seeks to develop a ‘best practice’ model that we hope can be replicated nationwide,” he added.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who launched the project, said the state government was also studying the possibility of drawing up a transport master plan and forming a state transport commission to serve as a one-stop agency responsible for planning, implementation and management if all transport issues in Penang.
“The necessary documents are currently being prepared for submission to the state executive council.
“We hope they will be ready by the end of the month or early next month before we start work on formulating the master plan, which we estimate will take one or two years to draw up and implemented,” he said.
Bernama
In need of facilities
Wheel PowerBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN
Disabled folks need our respect
All senior citizens can take advantage of free transport
All senior citizens can take advantage of free transport
I REFER to “Offer free transport to all senior citizens” (The Star, Nov 17) which raised the question as to why transportation for senior citizens is only provided at old folks homes that are registered.
The allocation of 11 vans to the Day Care Centres for the Elderly is a pilot project implemented by the Social Welfare Department Malaysia (JKMM) through a smart partnership programme with an NGO, Majlis Pusat Kebajikan Semenanjung Malaysia (MPKSM).
These vans are placed at the Day Care Centres for safety and maintenance purposes. Any local senior citizen who may have the need to use these vehicles to seek treatment at local clinics or hospitals may make a request to MPKSM by calling these lines – 03-2274 3714 or 03-2274 9918 .
However, this facility is provided only for senior citizens who have physical disabilities or live alone and do not have guardians/family members who can assist them to seek treatments at clinics or hospitals.
This is part of the JKM’s role in ensuring the well-being of all underprivileged senior citizens.
We will continue to do our best to ensure that they are well cared for and can live more comfortable and fulfilling lives.
HELYA MAIZUREEN HASHIM,
Public Relations Officer,
Department of Social Welfare.
Disabled urged to register with Welfare Dept
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Noriah Kasnon said according to the World Health Organisation, an average of between five and 10% of a country’s population was made up of the disabled.
But our ministry only has 233,000 registered disabled members, which is less than one per cent,” she said after launching the Hilton Christmas Train yesterday.
She also attended the GongxiDeeparayamas Charity Party at the hotel.
Noriah encouraged the disabled to register with the department so that the ministry would have a clearer picture in assessing the disabled community’s situation.
She added that only 581 registered OKU (disabled people) were working in the public sector.
“OKU with a monthly income of less than RM1,200 would be entitled to apply for a RM300 incentive under the department’s scheme,” she said.
A monthly allowance of RM300 would also be given to caregivers of bed-ridden OKU with a total household income of less than RM3,000 per month. Noriah presented 25 charity homes with RM4,500 each at the event.
The donations were generated from the Fifth Hilton Christmas Train project which features a train display by lecturers and students from the University College Sedaya International School of Architecture and Built Environment.