Council's move lauded

2011/02/15

Council's move lauded

The disabled are applauding the council's effort to provide the necessary facilities for the group. They hoped that in future, local councils would not take too much time to ensure that public facilities were also disabled-friendly.

Francis Siva suggests disabled-friendly toilets, shelter from the elements.

Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva welcomed the upgrades. He suggested that the parks be also equipped with disabled-friendly toilets, have road accessibility and shelter from the elements.

Gurdip Kaur is glad that the disabled can now enjoy a more active lifetstyle.

Gurdip Kaur, a former Selayang Municipal councillor who is wheelchair-bound, was elated that the park now allowed thedisabled to enjoy an active lifestyle.

Anthony Siva Balan Thanasayan, says the upgrade shows th e council’s commitment.

MBPJ Zone 13 councillor Anthony Siva Balan Thanasayan, who oversees Section 6, said the upgrade showed the council's commitment of to bring a change to the disabled.

Section 6 neighbourhood watch committee chairman Rajesh Mansukhlal said the disabled-friendly parks would also benefit the elderly as they could now venture into the park without fear of snatch thieves, who commonly operate on motorcycles.

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MBPJ First To Build Disabled Friendly Park

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

MBPJ First To Build Disabled Friendly Park - NST

PETALING JAYA: The wheelchair-bound in the city can now look forward to a day in the park as the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is embarking on a mission to make its parks accessible to the disabled.

For a start, MBPJ has installed a small neighbourhood park in Jalan 6/14 with disabled-friendly features such as ramps for easy mobility, tactile flooring for the blind, accessible entrances and wider footways.

Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said the upgrade was a first for state municipalities, and part of MBPJ's corporate social responsibility effort to make PJ a barrier-free city for the disabled.

"This park will be a model for the rest of the public parks in the municipality, and the design will be according to global standards that prioritise user-friendly features," said Roslan.

He hoped the disabled and elderly would use the parks for recreation and socialising.

Roslan said PJ had over 400 parks but only 384 parks were under the council. The rest were under development or were yet to be surrendered to the council.

He said RM1.5 million had been set aside this year for the maintenance of the parks. This includes the repair and replacement of park equipment and playground amenities.

A big concern, said Roslan, was vandalism. He urged the community to share the responsibility of caring for and protecting the facilities.

The council has placed metal bars poles with width fit for wheelchairs at the appropriate entrances of the park as a measure to block motorcyclists from entering the park.

"I hope the residents will adopt the park as their own and together, safeguard it from being vandalised," said Roslan at the disabled-friendly park, which was launched by state exco for tourism, consumer affairs and environment Elizabeth Wong.

Wong and Roslan placed the disabled sign at the entrance of the park to mark it as a disabled-friendly park.

Wong said the council's move to make its parks disabled-friendly was a ground- breaking achievement.

MBPJ landscaping department director Zuraidah Sainan the council had made it compulsory for developers to allot 10 per cent of land for open space and to equip the development with disabled-friendly

Sunday February 13, 2011

Ministry finalising new set of rules for welfare homes, says Shahrizat

By P. ARUNA
aruna@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: A new set of guidelines is being finalised by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to step up enforcement against the rising cases of abuse and negligence in welfare homes.

“The guidelines are to ensure that welfare home operators abide by existing laws pertaining to the welfare of their residents,” said minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said the government would not tolerate any form of abuse or negligence and urged welfare home operators and caretakers to be more responsible towards the people under their care.

She called on the public to immediately report to the ministry if they suspect residents of orphanages or old folks’ homes were being abused or neglected.

“Prevention is the way to go.

Speaking up: The young lawyers and chambering students of loyarburuk (from left) Bon, Van Geyzel, Azira, Fahri and Leu have opened an avenue for the young to voice their thoughts.

“We don’t want to only take action after a child is abused,” she said, adding that the ministry would soon be meeting with welfare home operators to brief them on the new guidelines.

Shahrizat said this after launching charity initiative “Mari Beramal Bersama Colgate” which saw the company donate RM200,000 to 12 charity homes in the country.