Wednesday October 6, 2010

Basic disable-friendly amenities needed in public places

By YEE XIANG YUN

JOHOR BARU: Handicapped businessman Low Yuen Nien wants basic amenities for the disabled to access public buildings freely.

The 47-year-old who is wheel chair bound, said he lost the ability to

walk when he was three due to polio.

“Banks, shopping complexes and government buildings should install rams and have designated parking spots for the convenience of physically-impaired people.

Commendable: Low (in wheelchair) showing a certificate he received in 2000 after being chosen as tokoh for OKU while his wife Lydia Tay and Michael Tay look on.

“A lot of my friends who are physical challenged share the same frustration on the lack of disable-friendly amenities at most places here,” he said during a press conference organised by Johor Baru MCA Public Complains Bureau deputy chief Michael Tay recently.

Low urged the government and authorities to design OKU-friendly parking lots and entrance in future projects.

“Sometimes when I visit the hospital, I get told off by the security guard for parking my car near the entrance as there are no designated parking spot for the disabled.

“I feel disheartened and disappointed by the situation and I hope such circumstances will be improved soon.

“I still rely greatly on my wife and friends to manoeuvre my wheel chair whenever there are no rams installed at certain buildings,” he said.

The father of four added that laws should be enforced and fines should be imposed on those who misused parking spaces for the disable.

Speaking on Low’s plight, Tay said he had forwarded a letter to the authorities on Low’s behalf.

“I have sent a letter requesting for more amenities to be installed at public buildings to make life easier for people with such difficulties.

“I hope that that the request would be seriously considered as disabled people want to lead a normal life and be independent too,” he said.

Tay said letters have been forwarded to local councils in the state.

Group demand for disabled-friendly facilities

Saturday October 16, 2010

Group demand for disabled-friendly facilities

By CHOONG MEK ZHIN

A GROUP of Ampang’s physically disabled residents are demanding for disabled-friendly facilities such as special parking lots and ramps at banks in the area.

Though the banks provide priority counters for the disabled, those who are in wheelchairs are not able to get to it due to the lack of ramps.

Due to this the group is unable to collect their monthly disability allowance from the government, which is put directly into their bank accounts. In dire need: (Back row, from right) Tnew, Lee and Lee’s assistant Ba Lee with the disabled residents.

“We usually wait outside while someone from the bank help us withdraw our money,” 40-year-old Wan Siew Ming said, adding that it was also difficult to access public facilities such as transport and playgrounds.

“When I take my 11-year-old child to the playground, I have to wait at the side of the field due to some metal barriers that is built to prevent motorcycles,” Wan said.

He also said that installing disabled friendly facilities were provided for under both the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and Uniform Building by laws.

“I wonder how the local council approved the construction of these business and commercial areas that do not follow the given guidelines particularly when it comes to the disabled?” Wan said.

Most of them have also experienced at one time or another, inconsiderate members of the public who misuse the limited disabled parking facilities and car stickers.

Another resident Tan Lay Har wrote in to one of the local banks in a letter on Aug 6 but he has not received any reply so far.

As a last resort, the group approached Teratai assemblyman Jenice Lee for assistance.

Lee said that she would contact the banks and assist in applying for disabled parking lots to be made available in front of the banks.

“I will also contact MPAJ and ask for better enforcement on the laws that provide for the disabled. I also urge people to think of others and be more sensitive to the needs of the disabled by not misusing facilities meant for them,” she said, adding that some people needed to be more civic-minded.

Councillor Jennifer Tnew said that she will refer the matter to the Building and Architecture Department and expediate matters of modifying business premises to make it more disabled friendly.

Below you can see some pictures of the groundbreaking ceremony of the Independent Living and Training Centre event in Rawang, Selangor.

Thursday October 14, 2010

First brick laid for new building for the disabled

LAST Friday, a ground-breaking ceremony which was like no other, took place in Rawang, Selangor. Nearly 150 people gathered at Kampung Sungai Tambahan Dua to witness the laying of the first brick of a brand new building that would bring hope to the disabled community.

Nearly half of the crowd were people with physical disabilities. I was there, too.

With their wheelchairs, walking sticks and crutches, about 60 disabled guests braved the narrow roads and rough tracks leading to an empty site surrounded by thick grass, shrubs and trees.

It is here that the disabled centre will be built. The force behind this project is an NGO called the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) which has been operating at a rented building about 2km away.

The new piece of land was given to the centre in 2005 by former Rawang assemblyman Datuk Tang See Hang. To date the ILTC has collected RM380,000 and needs another RM570,000 to make up the RM950,000 needed for the building.

Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar (right) about to lay the first brick for the new building for the Independent Living and Training Centre.

The new disabled centre has turned out to be timely for the ILTC group as the owners of their present premises want the building back. It’s now a race against time to complete the centre as they have to move out by August next year.

The groundbreaking ceremony was a simple affair. It was officiated by Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

Set up in 2000, the ILTC currently has close to a dozen citizens. Residents stay at the centre for a period of time to learn independent living skills. These include taking care of themselves and picking up new skills such as driving, cooking and computer training. These services are provided free of charge.

ILTC founder and president Francis Siva, 50, has been paralysed from the neck down following a driving accident about 25 years ago. He spent more than five years in the hospital after the accident. He was depressed and suicidal until he met two other patients who taught him the value of life.

One was a terminally ill young man on the bed to his right. He had wanted so much to live but cancer took his life the week after.

The other, a patient on his left, was worse off than Francis because he could not move his body at all. And yet he remained cheerful throughout until he died.

It took Francis a good two years to fight off his depression. When he came out of it, he reorganised his life and moved on to form the ILTC.

Francis now runs the ILTC together with help from his secretary, Gurdip Kaur, who also uses a wheelchair.

With this new building in the pipeline, the disabled can look forward to another new chapter in their lives.

Those who are able to help, can contact Francis (019-338 5959) or visit iltcmalaysia.blogspot.com or e-mail: iltcmalaysia@gmail.com.