Thursday June 20, 2013

Service at their doorstep, please

‘Special counters should be available to disabled persons, and frontline staff should be trained on how to help persons with special needs,’ suggests Francis Siva.

The disabled are given the runaround for public services when what they really need is a doorstep service.

DISABLED Malaysians in Selangor were delighted to hear, a fortnight ago, that they now qualify for a 50% discount for assessment taxes in the state. Every disabled person is given the discount for only one property.

Francis Siva, president of self-help group, the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor, welcomed the move by the authorities.

However, he pointed out that the state could have done better by going all the way and giving a 100% waiver to make it truly worthwhile for the handicapped.

“To do so would not be big money for the government,” says Francis, 54, who was paralysed from his neck down in a road accident almost 30 years ago.

“For the disabled, though, the cut would make a world of difference as not many are able to own houses in the first place,” adds Francis.

“For those that do, it is usually after their parents die and leave their property to them,” Francis explains.

“Most disabled people can’t even afford to rent a house because they are poor. For those who are able to, they come across landlords who flatly refuse them, claiming they will bring them bad luck!”

Some disabled persons are able to place a downpayment for a home from the insurance money they get after they become handicapped though accident or illness.

But they still have to struggle, Francis says, with other expenses related to their disabilities, like purchasing catheters, diapers for urinary problems, wheelchairs, medical beds, medicines and so on.

Francis, who has been working with the disabled poor for more than a decade, also cautions that some things may look good on paper, but when it comes to the real thing of getting it, it’s often another story.

“When working with the disabled, things must be done at their doorstep,” Francis stresses, “and don’t give the handicapped a runaround for services.”

The idea of discounts for the disabled in assessment taxes, he believes, was mooted first in Selayang almost two years ago.

When several disabled persons approached the local government in Gombak, those at the frontline had no clue as to what it was or what they had to do to qualify for it.

“As a result, our disabled members who took the trouble to get there, in spite of all their difficulties, became not only confused but dejected by the whole exercise,” Francis points out.

“This is why we need a doorstep service. It is heartless and downright cruel of the able-bodied to expect people who can’t walk to run around from one department to another just to get information that is supposed to help them and make their lives easier.

“Special counters should be available to disabled persons, and frontline staff should be trained on how to help persons with special needs. Information should also be available on the website, with a hotline to call,” concludes Francis.

DW (who wishes to remain anonymous) became blind in both eyes six years ago. He can’t believe the “torture” he has had to go through to apply for the discount. His application status is still pending since last year.

He first heard about the discount at his local council office when he bumped into a stranger who used a wheelchair. DW and his sighted wife wasted no time in getting the necessary information from the land and property valuation department.

But their frustration began when an officer attended them after a long wait. The couple were quizzed on a myriad of matters and finally given a set of forms to fill in.

DW took pains to complete everything that was required, including a copy of the Sale and Purchase Agreement and forms that needed to be endorsed by a commissioner of oaths or an equivalent.

After having the forms duly stamped and endorsed at a fee, DW and his wife drove straight to the local council to personally hand in all the necessary documents.

They were told that an officer would also make an inspection visit to their house as part of the processing procedure. But no one came for months.

When DW called the office, he was told that an officer had visited his house (unannounced, and without making an appointment) and since there was no one in, they couldn’t complete the process.

When they asked to make an appointment for another visit, they were told that the officer would turn up as and when he or she liked without prior notice.

Another visit was made – and again, it happened at a time when the couple wasn’t in. (They discovered this after calling them up again a month later.)

After further months of total silence, DW and his wife received a letter enquiring about the personal particulars of their children who were both residing overseas and their income details.

“Is this what the Government means when they say they want to help the disabled?” he wonders.