Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2011

Dear Friends,

Wishing all of you a festive season filled with Loving wishes and beautiful thoughts.

Please take care and stay safe!

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2011

From, Mr. Francis Siva

THE WORLD'S VERY FIRST HIP HOP WHEELCHAIR DANCE GROUP

Auti Angel and Briana Walker combined their talents to create THE WORLD'S VERY FIRST HIP HOP WHEELCHAIR DANCE GROUP! They have been inspiring everyone ever since...to Dance Anyway!

Thursday December 23, 2010

Room for caring

Practising what you preach.

UNTIL I read the story of the nativity all over again recently, I never realised how much people with disabilities could relate to Christmas.

And it wasn’t until I went through each amazing account in the Bible that the hidden truth suddenly dawned on me – from the angel announcing the conception of the child to being turned away at the cramped inn and finally to the blessed birth in a humble manger.

Even baby Jesus – who is the reason for this glorious season – knew exactly what it felt like to be unwanted and have no place in society.

“No room at the inn” was what his distraught parents were told as they frantically looked for a place to birth him.

“No room”, “no access”, “no ramps” and “no disabled toilets” are common phrases Malaysians with physical handicaps still hear today.

And yet, many of us don’t even flinch a muscle when we stand up and declare that Malaysia is a caring society.

Some of these most uncaring and unfriendly buildings are, ironically, churches and other places of worship that are supposed to stand as pillars in a caring society.

Although they speak about the disabled and the elderly often, and preach to their congregation about the importance of “love” and “the need to think of others”, their actions and architecture often tell a totally different story.

I was talking to a member of the board of a local church only last week about adding a wheelchair ramp and a disabled-friendly toilet when her response took me by surprise.

“Oh ye of little faith,” she said, as if quoting a passage directly from the holy book.

“You don’t need to use a wheelchair. Just come to our church and we’ll pray over you and you will walk again.

“You’ll become one of us, and then there will be no need for ramps or disabled toilets, Hallelujah!”

Years ago, another lady who was an elder in the local church which I used to go to told me the same thing.

She was the epitome of health, and anyone who got sick rushed to see her so that she could pray over them. Even those with permanent disabilities and terminal illnesses sought her prayers as they believed they would be healed.

We eventually lost contact, but out of the blue, I got a call from her.

Speaking to me on the other end of the telephone line was a totally different person. I hardly recognised her.

Her voice was weak and frail. It was clear that she was also extremely depressed.

And then she made the most astonishing revelation.

She told me that she – now in her 60s – was a disabled person, too.

She was told by a doctor that she had Parkinson’s disease.

In fact, the medical specialist had told her that she had had the insidious condition for several years but she was not aware of it.

Her first reaction, she said, was to reject it. She prayed, fasted and even went to other faith healers to shake it off.

But nothing worked. Only medication could slow down the effects of the disease.

When she started using a wheelchair, she lost her independence and she had to be cared for by a maid.

She lost her job and eventually all her friends too.

She found it difficult to manoeuvre around in her church as it has no ramps or wheelchair access.

She had to hold on to her weak bladder until she got home because it has no toilet for the disabled. Several times, she had embarrassing “accidents” in public.

She told me that she now realised what a terrible mistake she had made. “I should have fought for people like you then in the council, but I never dreamt that something like this could happen to me.”

I couldn’t believe that the woman, who was once hostile towards me, had now become my friend – albeit over phone conversations late into the night.

She wanted to learn as much as she could about disability. I, too, learnt so much from her and how she was coping in life until she passed away, six months later.

Physical handicaps are only one aspect for a caring society to consider. The blind, deaf, people with learning disabilities and those with multiple handicaps also deserve attention.

Then, there are other conditions that are brought on by heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and old age.

Will we open our doors to all these people in our lives? And what would happen if we too find ourselves looking for room at the inn one day and being turned away?

Merry Christmas from Wheel Power!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Disabled can seek govt jobs online, says PSC

By SARBAN SINGH

SEREMBAN: Disabled Malaysians seeking employment in the public sector have been told to apply online with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to speed up the government’s plan to reserve at least 1% of jobs for them.

Public Service director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah said the disabled should state their status on their application.

“These are among several affirmative measures introduced by the government to ensure the disabled are considered for jobs in the civil service.

“The PSC must also ensure that all vacancies for jobs advertised online or through any other channel have a special section for the disabled,” he said in a circular.

The website of the PSC is www.spa.gov.my.

The disabled can apply for jobs in the top management group which is made up of the cream of the civil service, professionals and management as well as the support groups.

The disabled, he said, can seek assistance from the Welfare Department on how to apply for these jobs.

He said that to be considered for government jobs, the disabled must have registered with the department.

Although there are an estimated 2.7mil disabled Malaysians, only some 10% were registered with the department.

It is learnt that only the Welfare Department has achieved the government’s target to have at least 1% of its work force made of the physically or mentally challenged, blind, deaf or mute.

Abu Bakar said the PSC should ensure that the panel set up to interview disabled persons for such jobs had an officer from the Welfare Department or an officer who had experience dealing with the disabled.

He said Ministries should let the PSC know if there were jobs suitable for the disabled to make it easier for the PSC to place them.

Early Xmas party at Tesco Rawang

Early Xmas party at Tesco Rawang.

Selangor state government hosted an early Christmas party recently at Rawang, Selangor and there nearly 5000 people from Rawang participated.

They also had invited a few charitable organisations to the wonderful evening with its caring society.

ILTC were proud and delighted to be given an opportunity to participate this wonderful event.

ILTC members had a wonderful time at the live show and other performances.

There were plenty of foods. On the day, we had received donation from the Tourism Selangor.

The guests were also entertained by musical performances from several artistes as well as adult and children from the church.

Among the guests were YB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, YB Azmin Ali, YB. Dr. Xavier Jayakumar and Y.B. Tuan Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew.

During the Christmas Celebration President Francis Siva chatting with YB. Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim to possible ways to deliver some assistance for the disabled people in Malaysia.

The Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim urged the public, especially the younger generation, to have the determination to make Malaysia a better place.

He added that there was still plenty of room to deeper understanding among the races.

Today, children and adults have come here to enjoy the celebration together. This reflects the Malaysian spirit among the communities,” he said.

The ILTC was thankful for the positive role of the Selangor state government in giving to all walks of life an opportunity to experience the spirit of giving and sharing during the festive season.

In conclude this Christmas Greetings, let us share the spirit of joy and sharing, bring about love and peace to this world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Disabled Cheated By Nature Group - Want Their Money Back

Story - Courtesy from Petpositive

Disabled Cheated By Nature Group - Want Their Money Back

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!

DATELINE: KOTA DAMANSARA COMMUNITY FOREST RESERVE, PETALING JAYA

NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs) THAT REPRESENT THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY ARE FUMING.

THEY ARE CRYING FOUL OVER A SPECIAL FUND THAT WAS MEANT ORIGINALLY FOR HANDICAPPED ACCESS AT THE COMMUNITY FOREST HERE.

HOWEVER, THAT FUND AMOUNTING TO RM30,000 IS NOW BEING USED FOR A NON DISABLED CAUSE.

THE GROUPS ARE NOW DEMANDING THAT EVERY SEN OF THAT MONEY BE RETURNED SO THAT PLANS TO MAKE THE KOTA DAMANSARA COMMUNITY FOREST RESERVE (KDCFR) DISABLED-FRIENDLY CAN GO AHEAD.

"The disabled and elderly community who had been looking forward to explore the forest have not only been dealt with a great blow but also feel cheated by those responsible for the reallocation decision and it's only fair that they give the money back," said Anthony SB Thanasayan from MADDor Malaysians Against the Discrimination of the Disabled - a coalition of half a dozen NGOs for people with disabilities.

He said this during a press conference that was held at KDCFR this afternoon.

It was attended by Kota Damansara state assemblyman YB Dr Nasir Hashim and conservationist and leader of the KDCFR Jeffrey Phang.

The disability groups that were present included theMalaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or PETPOSITIVE and the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC), a self-help NGO run by people with disabilities.

"The decision to divert the funds was most arbitrary to stay the least and far from the spirit of dialogue and consultation with the disabled community," pointed out Thanasayan who is also councillor for Petaling Jaya's Zone 13 area.

"The funding agency GEF-SGP's (Global Environment Facility - Small Grants Programme) project leader Justine Vaz confirmed the scrapping of the disabled trail, claiming that a 'better area' was in the pipeline but it is extremely arrogant and presumptuous to do things for the disabled without consulting with them first," he said to PET+BLOGSPOT after the press conference.

"Their action is not only discriminatory against people with special needs but also shows how totally ignorant they are about people with disabilities.

"Their workshop is a joke and a farce," he said referring to Monday's final stakeholders meeting the agency is coordinating with the Selangor Forestry Department.

Dr Nasir (in black) chatting with protesters

"What they are doing is going against everything that the PJ City Council (MBPJ) is doing to try and create a barrier-free environment with universal designs."

Thanasayan said that he had met Phang on a couple of occasions early this year to check out the park as well as to plan out the disabled-friendly pavements which MBPJ had expressed its interest to support.

Thanasayan who was invited to the workshop said he is boycotting Monday's workshop, fearing it to be a trap to get his indirect support for the exclusion of the disabled-friendly facilities.

"Even though a detailed list of disabled-friendly points was made available by me, no one had called or wanted to discuss the matter with me at any time," said Thanasayan.

"The KDCFR is excellent for the blind who though they can't see, are fully able to appreciate the rich sounds of the forest and the smells," pointed out Petpositive blind member Yam Tong Woo who took a stroll in the area with his wife.

"People should stop seeing the issue as a charity one but rather from a justice point of view - access to KDCFR is our human right," said tetraplegic Francis Siva, president of ILTC.

He was accompanied by his wife - also in wheelchair - Gurdip Kaur, a former local councillor for the Selayang municipality (MPS).

On his part Dr Nasir said he was upset over the non inclusion of the disabled facilities.

"We should stop segregating people and do everything we can to integrate with everyone," he said, adding that the disabled and the elderly should be given the same rights and privileges as anyone else.

Those who gathered at the press conference said that they are prepared to take up the matter to higher officials including the state's Chief Minister if the matter was not resolved.