Disable friendly PJ pavement gets positively 'Madd' reviews

Disable friendly PJ pavement gets positively 'Madd' reviews
Emily Chow
Jul 16, 094:00pm
Efforts by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to turn the pavement along Jalan Gasing disabled friendly was lauded by a coalition of NGOs calling themselves Malaysians Against the Discrimination of the Disabled (Madd) today.

Madd has been advocating the rights and the needs of disabled people in Malaysia since 2007.

Present at today's gathering organised by Madd were a group of activists from several NGOs including the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PETPOSITIVE), Independent Living and Training Centre, Pewira K9 and the Malaysian Association for the Blind.

"The purpose of this (gathering) is to show the public that we are here, as most people are still in denial about disabled people," said Anthony Thanasayan (left), PETPOSITIVE president.

"We also 'stand' together to support the MBPJ for what they have done (in rebuilding the pavement). We applaud them." he said.

Anthony was also a former MBPJ councillor."I raised the issue of making the pavement (along Jalan Gasing) more disabled friendly back then, and the construction of a 'universal design pavement' by MBPJ began a year ago." Anthony said.

The pavement stretches for about 500 meters from the row of shops along Jalan Gasing to the nearby Thai temple.

The pavement is still undergoing construction but is estimated to be completed iwithin two months.Universal design pavementAnthony later explained to reporters the characteristics of a 'universal design pavement' used by the MBPJ:

• has guiding blocks for the blind so they can walk about independently


• made for people in wheelchairs with the slightest of gradients as possible


• void of obstacles, including lamp posts and post boxes

"It is a pavement that is for everyone to use, not just the disabled. Everybody includes the able- bodied, the disabled, mothers with prams, pregnant women, children and the elderly," he said.

Anthony also brought up the issue of criticism levelled at the pavement project which was said to be too costly and estimated at RM180,000."They (the public) asked 'Where are the blind? How many blind use this?'

The public is still going through a process of denial as they are afraid to admit these disabilities exist.

"It's time for the public and our government to stop giving excuses and start addressing this issue.

We demand today that they (MBPJ and all the other local councils) start making disabled friendly pavements instead of feeling sorry for us," said Anthony.

"It doesn't help us at all, it just destroys us. Stop this attitude of charity. Treat us like equal people, for we also want to have a right to go out." he added.

Finally, a start

After speaking to reporters, the group of activists then 'wheeled' their way down the disabled friendly pavement.
Gurdip Kaur Rina, a former Selayang district councillor and activist Antony Leopold from PETPOSITIVE praised the project as it is said to be the first such sidewalk in the country with this universal design.

"It's a good start that we are all here, and we hope that the other councils will take this as an example.

We do this to highlight to the government that they have to include this type of facility for the disabled." said Rina.

Making Jalan Gasing disabled-friendly

Friday, July 17th, 2009
disabled-friendly walkway along Jalan Gasing
A ramp provided for mobility brings them cheer
Pauline Almeida

FREEDOM: The disabled are grateful that shops and bus stops are now more accessible to them in PJMALAYSIANS Against Discrimination of the Disabled (MADD) have praised the Petaling Jaya City Council forconstructing a disabled-friendly walkway along Jalan Gasing.

"We are very grateful that the council will provide us with this accessibility. It was like the fight from day one that has finally paid off. The 450-metre pavement is being built along the road," said Stanislaus Anthony, the Rukun Tetangga Seksyen 3 committee member in charge of security. "Even though this walkway is partially completed, we know it's going to make our lives a bit easier," said Anthony Siva Balan Thanasayan, the vice-president of Support Group Society for the Blind of Malaysia, a MADD member.

Asked how the walkway would affect their lives, sports executive of the Malaysian Association for the Blind Muhammad Fairuz Abdullah said: "Nobody wants to be disabled, so by building the walkway with a universal design, we can move around just like able bodied people.

"Sometimes it's hard getting out of the house simply because there is no one to take us to the place we want to go. But that's going to change," he added.

According to council engineering director Ismail Shafie the project started in September last year and was to be completed in February.

However, due to some unforeseen technical problems construction will only be completed later this month.

"The initial plan was to upgrade and maintain the previous walkway and to provide a walkway for the public. But at the request of disabled people, we believed that it would be better if we installed tactile guiding blocks. The blocks are a safety guide for the disabled, mainly the blind, as it indicates how far they are from the curb.

"The tactile guiding blocks are installed in the middle of the walkway," he said. In 2007, the council startedbuilding universal design pavements in Section 52.

"The pavements link the council headquarters to Menara MBPJ. And for any development approved after 2007, developers are urged to install ramps, railings and curbs to make it easier for the disabled to move aroundwithout endangering them," he added.

The project is expected to cost RM2 million.

Universal design pavement is for everyone's benefit

Universal design pavement is for everyone's benefit

2009/07/17
Sheila Sri Priya T. Anthony says the disabled don't need sympathy but help

PETALING JAYA:A group of disabled people has hit back at the critics of the universal design pavement being built in Jalan Gasing.

Calling the RM180,000 pavement a move in the right direction, they described it as a long-overdue necessity.“The disabled don’t need sympathy, they need help.

In the past, we had to fight for job opportunities and the right to use public transport,” said former Petaling Jaya councillor, T. Anthony, who led the group of over 20 disabled people to view the pavement and speak up on the importance of having such facilities.

“But the key problem remains — access for the disabled. The disabled don’t just go to the hospitals, they have lives to live.

“Every year, children are born with disabilities and people do meet with accidents and become disabled, so it is good to start thinking universally,” said Anthony.

The group included two former councillors who are disabled, and parents of disabled children, who all agreed that there should be more public amenities built based on the universal design concept that is suitable for everyone.

They are members of Malaysia Against the Discrimination of the Disabled, which is a coalition made up of Independent Living and Training Centre, Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Pet Positive) and Perwira K9 Malaysia.

Anthony and other the group members urged the public to support Petaling Jaya City Council’s effort to build the universal design pavement, believed to be the first of its kind in Malaysia.

It was recently reported that some quarters were not happy with the amount spent on the 500 metre-long pavement.

“Universal design means it is for everyone and not just the disabled’s use. So I don’t understand what the fuss is all about,” said Anthony, who is also the president of Pet Positive.

Firdaus Mohd Nazar, who became a paraplegic after a road accident three years ago, agreed.“I am 24 years old and work as a clerk. I would love for the country to be equipped with facilities for the disabled,” said Firdaus.

Ahmad Daniel Mohd Sharani, 33, a writer who lives in Ara Damansara, added.“We have to start somewhere and Petaling Jaya is leading by example.

Instead of criticising and mocking a noble project, why can’t public be more supportive?”

Former Selayang councillor, Gurdip Kaur said she had set up a committee for the disabled in the Selayang Municipal Council. She added that more needed to be done for the disabled.

Mohd Ramli Abdullah, 49, from a Felda settlement in Pahang, said the rights of the disabled had long been neglected.

“People are generous with their sympathy but fail to provide us with basic facilities. They say we are asking for too much. I think The public should stop being cruel to us.”

Most of us are forced to own a car because there’s no way for us to walk as the pavements are not disabled-friendly,” he said.

Disabled community shows support for new pavement

Friday July 17, 2009

Disabled community shows support for new pavement
By FAZLEENA AZIZ

ABOUT 20 disabled people (PWDs) gathered to show their support for the new pavement along Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya.

The pavement along the 500m stretch of road was a pilot project for barrier-free access in PJ.

Easier for the disabled: Thanasayan leading the way in support of the new pavement.

It was upgraded at a cost of RM180,000, including railings and covering up of the drains.

Former Petaling Jaya city councillor Anthony Thanasayan said people should stop being in denial
over the needs of the disabled.

He said people should not politicise the issue but support them.

“The earlier pavement was a waste because even the non-disabled were not able to use it.

“We also want to show them that we exist and have rights as a tax-paying citizens,” he said.

He also said all the councils in Selangor should emulate MBPJ’s facilities instead of making a mess like in Kuala Lumpur.

The All-Petaling Jaya Residents Associations Coalition (APAC) had expressed their disapproval over the council’s bad planning in the construction of the pavement.

They had said that the PJ New Town was already a model for barrier-free facilities and questioned the need for another model for road pavements along Jalan Gasing.

Councillor: Residents have different disabilities

Wednesday July 8, 2009

Councillor: Residents have different disabilities

KUALA KUBU BARU: The public lacks understanding on the different disabilities suffered by residents at the Taman Sinar Harapan welfare home, said Petaling Jaya City Council councillor Anthony Thanasayan.

“These are specific disabilities, such as autism or speech disability. You can’t treat them the way you treat healthy people,” he told reporters after visiting the shelter home here with Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday.

He said there were specific needs to be attended to and hence, special ways of dealing with them.

Thanasayan, who writes the “Wheel Power” column in The Star, believes that the residents should have their conditions re-evaluated.

“They either should not be here or that there should be specific programmes designed to help them.

“As a disabled 49-year-old, I’m very concerned,” he said.

Thanasayan said the responsibility of taking care of the disabled has always been passed to the Social Welfare Department.

“But the department can’t do this alone,” he said.

He described the Government’s decision to improve the quality of treatment for the residents as a giant step forward.

“What has happened should not have happened. However, I can see that the staff here treat them with love and care. All we need is to set a standard and enforce it,” he added.

Thanasayan said drug prescription for the residents should be done by government doctors.
He hoped that Malaysians would pay attention to the plight of other disabled people, too.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. What about parents who have disabled kids at home who are facing the same problem?” he added.

Only nine disabled folk land jobs through Welfare Dept

Wednesday July 8, 2009



Only nine disabled folk land jobs through Welfare Dept

ONLY nine disabled people have found jobs through the Welfare Department, said Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

She said as of May this year, 431 disabled people had registered themselves with the department to look for jobs.

“The public sector allocates 1% of its jobs to the disabled,” she told Prof Datuk Dr Ismail Md Salleh.

Chew said the department was also upgrading its registration system to electronically issue the disabled with cards.

She said an advocacy programme for the Persons with Disabilities Act had also been put in place to focus on the accessibility of buildings and public places for the disabled.

“A national council for the disabled was also set up in July last year to supervise the implementation of policies and action plan,” she said.

Chew said that among others, the Govern­ment had received various suggestions on issues relating to the disabled, such as support service, care, shelter and rehabilitation.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong told Wan Ramlah Wan Ahmad that the ministry found it difficult to post male teachers to remote areas.

“There is a lack of male teachers in certain options but at the same time, schools in rural areas need teachers in these subjects. There are too few male teachers,” he said