Public Health Talk

Recently some ILTC members were participated at a public forum organized by WQ Park Health and Rehabilitation Centre, Lot2D, Jalan SS5D/6, Kelana Jaya Petaling Jaya Selangor

Talk given by:

Dato' Dr Hj Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah
Rahmat Disebalik Dugaan

Dr. Tunku Nor Taayah Tunku Zubir
Cabaran Pesakit Kurang Upaya

Later, we had the opportunity to buka puasa with the participants.

Successful Meeting - MPS

We (Technical Working Committee for the Disabled’s Facilities) had a very successful meeting today at the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS)

We’re here to assist MPS onwards whereby to check out all development plans and will need to be approved by ours committee before they are submitted to the one-stop centre committee, to ensure that the plans include facilities for the disabled. And also we’re here to give our views and ensure the job is done correctly. We hope that the other Municipal Council's in Malaysia will take this a good example to build disabled-friendly features in their town planning.

Malaysia: Disability Rights Treaty Ratification an ‘Important Step’

Malaysia: Disability Rights Treaty Ratification an ‘Important Step’

Malaysia's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can help bring real improvement in the lives of people with disabilities in Malaysia, Human Rights Watch said today. But Malaysia should withdraw its formal reservations to the treaty that will undermine its efforts to protect and promote those rights, Human Rights Watch said.

The Disability Rights Convention affirms broad protections for people with disabilities, including the rights to life, freedom from discrimination, equal recognition before the law, and access to justice, education, employment, and health. The treaty will go into effect in Malaysia on August 18, 2010.

"Malaysia has taken an important step to protect the rights of people with disabilities," said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch. "But the convention should be seen as a springboard for changing Malaysian laws, policies, and practices that violate the rights of people with disabilities."

While the Malaysian government has indicated plans to improve acceptance of people with disabilities into the mainstream, there are still problems with putting the plans into practice, Human Rights Watch said. Compliance with the 1984 law that mandates that public buildings be designed for accessibility is sporadic. In addition, a non-binding plan announced in 2009 to ensure that one percent of the government work force is reserved for persons with disabilities has not matched expectations.

The dropout rate for children with disabilities is a major concern, Human Rights Watch said. In part, this results from a lack of access to schools for children who use wheelchairs, for example, and in part from a lack of facilities, programs, and trained personnel to assist children with learning disabilities. The country's education regulations even exclude the "non-educable" from schools.

Malaysia entered formal reservations to the Disability Rights Convention concerning the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment (article 15) and the right to liberty of movement and nationality (article 18). It also made a declaration limiting the government's legal application of the principles of non-discrimination and equality.

Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia to withdraw these reservations immediately and to ensure that anyone with disabilities in Malaysia has the full protection of all rights set out in the convention. Countries that have ratified the Disability Rights Convention should make formal objections to Malaysia's reservations and declaration, Human Rights Watch said.

Malaysia's reservations are especially problematic, Human Rights Watch said, because the government has yet to ratify other major human rights treaties that incorporate these rights, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The prohibition against torture is one of the most basic under international law, permitting no exceptions. Malaysia has recently withdrawn a number of its reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but should remove all the remaining reservations, Human Rights Watch said.

"Malaysia's reservations are troubling and send a terrible message to people with disabilities," Barriga said. "What possible justification could Malaysia have for objecting to protecting persons with disabilities from torture or allowing them to move around the country?"

Human Rights Watch also urged Malaysia to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Disability Rights Convention, which allows individuals to send complaints of human rights violations to an international monitoring body. At present, Malaysia's Persons with Disabilities Act provides no mechanisms for redress, and expressly prohibits legal actions against the government for violating the rights of persons with disabilities.

"By ratifying the Disability Rights Convention, Malaysia made progress toward fulfilling one of its pledges as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council to adopt more international human rights instruments," Barriga said. "However, its reservations to the convention fall far short of honoring that pledge."

ILTC members preformed Wheelchair Dance

Financial aid not for all disabled

Friday August 13, 2010
Financial aid not for all disabled

We refer to the letter “Aid for disabled comes with condition” (The Star, Aug 11).

The Department of Social Welfare wishes to clarify that information highlighted in the newspapers relating to financial assistance for disabled person was not clearly elaborated.

We wish to emphasise that registration does not automatically qualify for financial assistance as the eligibility is based on certain criteria as follows:

> The applicant must be a citizen of Malaysia.

> The household income is less than RM720 for Peninsular Malaysia, RM830 for Sarawak and RM960 for Sabah.

> Besides that, other factors that need to be considered during field visits to justify that the applicant comes under the category of poor and needy by looking at the number of family members, support from those living inside and outside of the family, number of family dependants, the health aspect of the applicant and other related factors.

We would like to stress that having Astro is not the criterion for assessing the eligibility of an applicant. We will look at the circumstances of the family as a whole to determine the need for welfare assistance.

Any inquiry can be directed to the Department for the Develop­ment of Persons with Disabilities at 03-2616 5600.

UNIT PERHUBUNGAN AWAM,
Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat.

Making Jalan Gasing disabled-friendly

Friday, August 13, 2010

DISABLED-FRIENDLY WALKWAY ALONG JALAN GASING.

We Independent Living & Training Centre (ILTC) would like to praise the Petaling Jaya City Council for constructed a disabled-friendly walkway along Jalan Gasing. We are very grateful towards the council for providing us more accessibility for the 450-metre pavement a disabled-friendly walkway along Jalan Gasing. Last Friday, We (Mr. Stanislaus Anthony, Pn. Hjh. Sharipah Marhaini Binti Syed Ali - Pengarah (Perancang Bandar), some other officials & myself) had a field visit with Y.B. Puan Rodziah Ismail (EXCO of the Selangor Government) whereby to discussed about how to build a Trigger Green Traffic Lights and also having some technical problems to construct at the bus stop near the pavement a disabled-friendly walkway along Jalan Gasing.

Even though the walkway is partially completed, we know it's going to make our lives a bit easier.

Well done!

Thursday August 12, 2010

Well done!

UPM’s Dogathon 2010 brought cheer all around.

MY chums and I had a terrific time last Sunday. We were at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor, to take part in what was expected to be the largest gathering of canines in the country. The ancient Egyptian scroll is unveiled, declaring Dogathon 2010 open

Called Dogathon 2010, the event was organised by students of UPM’s veterinary faculty with the support of their lecturers. They were hoping to draw as many as 800 dogs this year and outdo their last score of 600 canines in 2008. That record managed to sail comfortably into the Malaysia Book Of Records.

Petpositive, among the VIPs

Last Sunday’s turnout was even more astounding. An incredible 1,100 canines turned up, accompanied by nearly five times that number of animal-loving owners.

Armed with walking sticks, a white cane and half a dozen wheelchairs, we made our way through a maze of tail-wagging participants. One or two tiny dogs jumped out of our way and into the arms of their owners, but the rest of the canines were not too bothered by our wheelchairs. Many seemed more interested in checking out the pretty pooches that were there.

Those that walked directly to us were the larger breed canines. Several golden retrievers (a breed reputed to be excellent assistance dogs for the disabled) literally pulled their owners towards our wheelchairs.

One lady whose dog bumped into me confessed that she had never spoken to someone in a wheelchair before. She said she had many misconceptions about people in wheelchairs until after our chat – thanks to her dog!

ILTC President Francis Siva checks out his new pals

My wheelchair, of course, was a hot item for many of the dogs. That’s because unknown to their owners, it carries the scent of four of my trusty four-footed companions back home.

A 45-year-old first-time visitor who experiences a total freeze over his body several times a day because of Parkinson’s disease, said he felt like jumping for joy after seeing so many dogs in one place. “The morning encounter helped me to put aside my struggles with Parkinson’s for over 10 years, and think positively about the future,” he said.

Handsome fellas

Another young man in a wheelchair, S. Sekar, who became paralysed following a motorcycle accident five years ago, made it a point to play with as many canines as possible.

“I managed to touch only 30 dogs,” he said, sounding rather disappointed. “Many pet owners were surprised when I asked them if I could touch their pets but they were obliging, Some even carried their dogs and placed them on my lap so that I could take a picture with my mobile phone,” he beamed.

And they're off!

One blind gentleman had the opportunity to meet several furry visitors who came up to him when he was sitting in the animal-assisted therapy stall put up by Petpositive, a national society to encourage the disabled and elderly to have pets.

He told us inspiring stories of how his three canines helped him cope when he suddenly lost his sight two years ago. “In a world of complete darkness, it’s a great encouragement to have seeing-eye dogs by your side,” he explained.

Special arrangements were made for the disabled and the elderly to participate at the Dogathon. Car parks were reserved for the disabled and a portable disabled-friendly toilet was available.

This is the third time that UPM has actively involved the disabled community in its dogathons. For me, it was marvellous to see the disabled at a major dog event. I have never witnessed any canine event in which so much effort was made to accommodate the disabled.

I’m sure that if all the 1,100 dogs were reading this now, they would give a loud woof in support of the way the UPM folk treated the disabled and the elderly that day.

Disabled Parking Space Abuse at The Maju Expressway

MALAYSIA BOLEH? BOLEH!

Malaysia Boleh should have another caption to match it.

Disabled Parking Space Abuse by TAR Hospital Staff

About THREE weeks ago, ILTC Members protested at TAR Hospital Disabled Parking Space Abuse by TAR Hospital Staff & also were being used by able-bodied drivers. The Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (TAR) Hospital in Klang, also known as Klang General Hospital or Klang GH is a government tertiary hospital located in the south of the royal town of Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. More disturbing news and it was 'Shocking' in disabled parking often abuse by TAR Hospital staff. People are parking in handicapped parking spaces when they have no right to parking. Who qualifies or entitled to the privileges for a disabled parking?

Is it disabled person or able bodied?

We have received many complaints from disabled individuals in Klang on regards of abuse disabled parking.

ILTC in a peaceful and positive way aims to raise disability awareness.
ILTC Report respectfully to the high authority to take serious action against handicapped parking violators On behalf of ILTC, we would like to thanks popular TV journalist and Mr. Karam Singh Walia for instant responded to our noble struggle together with us to combat the abuse of parking bays for disabled.

Drive to register the disabled

Saturday August 7, 2010

Drive to register the disabled

IPOH: The Women, Family and Community Development Minis­try will go on a nationwide drive to register disabled persons and, if the response is poor, it may resort to amending current laws to make registration compulsory.

Quoting UN estimates, deputy minister Heng Seai Kie said about one per cent of a country’s population comprised persons with disabilities.

“This would mean that there are about 2.7 million disabled people in Malaysia.

“However, only 10% of them are registered,” she told reporters after opening the 2010 Malaysia Special Olympics here yesterday.

Heng said the ministry would embark on a campaign in Decem­ber to register disabled persons, adding that the exercise would be reviewed after six months.

“If the campaign is unsuccessful, there is a possibility of amending the Persons With Disabilities Act 2008 to make it a must for people to register,” she said, adding that at present there was no law to compel families and care givers to register disabled individuals.

Heng said the ministry’s department for the development of persons with disabilities would set up counters at public places and at its 100 district offices to make it easier for the disabled to be registered.

She added that many people were also unaware of the aid given to disabled persons registered with the Welfare Department.

Registered individuals, she said, receive a monthly RM150 allowance from the ministry.

For students, the allowance is given by the ministry until they enter university, after which it is provided by the Education Minis­try.

For working people earning less than RM1,500 a month, they can apply for a RM300 monthly allowance.

The director of the department for the development of persons with disabilities, Norani Mohd Hashim, said besides its offices, registration forms are also available at the offices of the education, health, and human resource departments.

“Forms can also be downloaded from the ministry’s website. It is a simple form to fill but there needs to be a certification from a medical practitioner,” she said.