Thursday May 16, 2013

A welcome change for disabled voters

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Equal opportunities: The disabled and the elderly were given all the help they needed at polling stations throughout the country during GE13.

OUR much anticipated 13th General Election has come and gone. So, how was it for Malaysians with disabilities who joined the crowd that turned up to cast their votes?

This was the first time my helper was allowed to enter the classroom at the polling station to assist me in my wheelchair.

Marcus Foo, 19, from Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur drove over to my house in Petaling Jaya to help me get ready and pushed my wheelchair about a hundred metres to a nearby school where the voting was conducted.

We sailed through the crowd of about 100 people who had made a beeline to the polling station by 9am. We were duly guided by the election staff on what to do and where to go, and we were done within 10 minutes.

I was pleased to see empty wheelchairs provided by the Election Commission for the elderly and those with walking difficulties. They were placed in front where everybody could see them.

As an added bonus, I noticed that the school had done some renovations. They had levelled the ground in several places since I last voted there five years ago.

However, I was disappointed to see that the entrance to the classroom still had a four-inch step. I needed some assistance to get in. The single step is a barrier to students in wheelchairs.

As I cast my votes, I closed my eyes and wished for all such barriers to be removed from schools across the country so that Malaysians with disabilities would have equal opportunities to education in the country.

For TKC, 44, a wheelchair user, last week’s voting turned out to be a pleasant family affair.

TKC was wheeled by his brother to a nearby school in the morning. He was accompanied by his sister-in-law, mother and a curious two-year-old nephew.

TKC and his elderly mother did not have to queue up, but the abled-bodied voters in his family had to wait out the queue. Needless to say, TKC and his mum finished long before the rest.

TKC found the ballot box too high, though. One of the lady officers had to tilt the box so that he could slip in his ballot papers.

Chong Tuck Meng, 52, who is paralysed from the neck down, was pleased that one of his two helpers was allowed into the classroom to assist him as he voted for the candidates of his choice. Everything was over in 10 minutes.

This was a welcome change for Chong who hails from Bentong, Pahang. During the last general election, Chong was not allowed to bring a helper into the classroom to assist him.

The only issue Chong had this time round, was a small uncovered drain outside the classroom. Fortunately for Chong, he had his helpers to carry his wheelchair over the drain.

Antony Leopold, 61, was delighted when the parking cones that blocked cars from entering the polling station were immediately removed when the police found out he was a disabled driver.

Some of the benches were also removed to make way for his car as it was raining at the time.

Three officers with umbrellas helped Antony, who had walking difficulties, into his wheelchair and accompanied him all the way to the classroom to cast his vote.

However, things did not go so smoothly for Yap Khen Siong, 39, from Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur. Yap travelled in his electric wheelchair to the polling station 2km away.

When he arrived at the polling station, he found that the voting room was on the first floor. It was clear that it would be impossible to carry his wheelchair up the flight of stairs. So, he had to wait for almost half an hour to cast his votes.

Yap’s ballot papers were brought down from upstairs, and he had to sign some documents before

casting his vote.

His ballot slips were then put in an envelope and taken upstairs – something Yap didn’t quite like. His ballots were no longer confidential as they had to be removed from the envelope and placed in the box.

For Yam Tong Woo, 59, it was his first time as a blind voter. He was accompanied by his sighted wife and son who were also voters.

An Election Commission official spotted Yam’s white cane and approached him immediately.

Yam and his wife were ushered to the queue for the disabled and the elderly. Yam was helped by his wife to cast his votes. She had to fill up a special consent form as a helper.

“I look forward to the day when the blind will be able to cast their votes independently, with assistive technology at the voting booth,” said Yam.