TWO very special organisations that support Malaysians with disabilities coincidentally held their Annual General Meeting on the same day last week.
The first was the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor (ILTC).
About 90 members turned up at 10am on May 31 in the premises of the society in Taman Garing.
A major focus of the discussions at their AGM was a fundraising food and fun-fair event that the ILTC is organising on the fourth of next month. It will be held at a local school near the centre.
The all-day occasion will include several musical concerts. A major aspect of these showcases is that they will also include disabled performers.
“There is no point in holding concerts in aid of disabled people if they themselves can’t be part of the occasion,” pointed out Francis Siva, president of the ILTC to Wheel Power early this week.
“We should stop our culture of putting the handicapped in the spectator’s chair all the time,” added the tetraplegic for 23 years since he was involved in a car accident.
It’s time we made them stars too, he stressed.
The ILTC will be commemorating its seventh-year anniversary in September of this year.
It is a unique set up of 11-committee members, all of them persons with disabilities themselves.
The centre currently has 12 physically handicapped residents who receive daily living skills training such as computer classes to cooking and even personal grooming tips.
These and many other services are all provided free of charge.
One of the ILTC’s future challenges is to work closely with the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) through the help of MPS disabled councillor Gurdip Kaur who is also the secretary of the NGO.
“Disabled-friendly toilets are scarce and there is an urgent need to increase them in Rawang and elsewhere,” observed Francis.
“To address this and other issues affecting the handicapped, MPS is having its first brainstorming meeting with the special OKU team from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on the 23rd of June which will be headed by Gurdip” said Francis.
Meanwhile, the dream of the ILTC to build its double-storey prototype disabled-friendly training centre in Rawang continues. It will be built about two kilometres from ILTC’s present rented premise.
The self-help society has up to date raised 45% of its RM1.5 million cost needed for its building. It currently requires RM10,000 per month for its operational costs.
For more information on ILTC, readers are welcomed to visit www.iltcmalaysia.blogspot.com or call: +6-03-6093 6292.
PET ASSISTED THERAPY FOR DISABLED & ELDERLY
“Malaysia’s first animal-assisted therapy centre is now open to all Malaysians with disabilities and the elderly to help empower them for positive-living.”
This was announced to a number of eager and extremely delighted members of the national, non-profit society Petpositive at their fourth AGM.
Also known as the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association which is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Petpositive turned four-years old last Sunday.
“Our AGM this year was especially extraordinary as it was the first time that our members who include ALL disabled and elderly Malaysians were able to meet under our own roof,” noted Petpositive’s assistant secretary Shenaaz Khan.
“That includes pets as well, who work as our special specialists in bringing comfort, hope and help for our members through their unique companionship,” she added.
All this transpired at the Petpositive Therapy Centre (PTC) in Jalan Carey in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
“The PTC was recently fitted with up-to-date disabled facilities using a combination of international and local recently revised MBPJ standards for wheelchair accessibility,” said a beaming Shenaaz to Wheel Power.
“The elderly disabled who visit us will find railings designed to meet their specific needs to help them walk into our centre through a very gentle ramp,” Shenaaz went on.
The restrooms are designed with all the required fittings with enough space even for a caregiver to assist his or her family member or friend.
“The highlight of the PTC is a special therapy room for clients of Petpositive and their pets,” explained Shenaaz.
“We have a special corner for marine therapy; as well as an in-house pond that has been raised to the height level of wheelchairs for the disabled to interact and bond with the fish in order to reduce their stress levels and build up their personal self-esteem.”
Shenaaz, who works as a legal writer, also pointed out that some of the other unconventional specialists include dogs, cats, rabbits and even birds.
Petpositive’s Therapy Centre’s services are provided free of charge to elderly and disabled visitors. However, it requires RM5000 each month for monthly rentals, transport and running costs.
For more information about Petpositive, please visit www.petpositive.blogspot.com or call +6-012 220 3146.
Note: Donations to both ILTC and Petpositive are tax deductible.
Pictures by Ruwaidy Mat Rasul
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