PJ's Section 52 To Be Disabled Friendly In Next 5 Years

Saturday April 7, 2012

Emphathise with the disabled

Just Saying
By S. Puspadevi

MUCH has been written on the need to have more disabled-friendly facilities for people with disability (OKU) and the Government has called upon the private and public sectors to implement such facilities as part of their social responsibility efforts.

I’ve been here in Petaling Jaya for a year now and in that span of time, I have attended at least three press conferences and briefings organised by people and NGOs representing the disabled.

The meetings have all got to do with the need for more disabled-friendly features in the district.
StarMetro has constantly highlighted issues on efforts taken by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to have more disabled-friendly features in the state within the next few years.

In fact, StarMetro reported on Dec 5 that Section 52 will be turned into the city’s first disabled-friendly area in the next five years.

Not easy: Disabled persons showing how difficult it is to get down from a building that has no ramps or rails.

The mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman had said that MBPJ had taken the initial steps to implement various disabled-friendly facilities and the council intends to invite business communities to participate and contribute to the initiative as part of their social responsibility.

MBPJ has plans to install more infrastructure like covered parking, ramps, disabled-friendly toilets and tactile paving at 150 locations all over the district. The installation will be staggered over a span of five years.

During one of my assignments, a woman in a wheelchair talked about her experience arguing with a man who had parked his car at a handicap bay at a shopping centre. The man had apparently told her off by saying that she did not have the authority to stop him from parking there.

I can visualise the entire scenario and empathise with her. No not only because we are of the same gender, but beyond that.

With all the initiatives taken by the authorities to implement disabled-friendly facilities in buildings, parks and malls to ease the burden of people with disabilities, isn’t it a shame when it is not supported by the community?

We all went to school and we all studied Pendidikan Moral or Pendidikan Sivik. The subjects, among other topics, emphasise the need to respect the elderly and empathise with those who are less fortunate.

Just last week, I had lunch with the general manager of Northam All-Suite Hotel, Penang and although I was just introduced to him not long ago, he had all the gentleman qualities a man should have.

He stands each time a woman gets up from her chair, he serves her first before he serves himself and he waits for the woman to enter the lift before he gets in. In his early 60s, I must say that he is a gentleman, a quality that is rather difficult to find among the younger generation.

At the end of the day, it’s all about upbringing and how we are trained and educated.
A Bernama report on Dec 5 quoted Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil calling local authorities to appoint at least one disabled person as a member of their planning and development committees.

She mentioned that with such input, the local authorities would be able to make buildings and public facilities more disabled-friendly.

Since many have failed to abide by the code of practice to have disabled-friendly features, Shahrizat also said that the matter was brought up to the Cabinet and it had concurred that a disabled person should be appointed to the committees.

So far, only MBPJ and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) have appointed the disabled to be part of the committee.

According to the Welfare Department’s 2010 statistics, there are a total of 314,247 OKU nationwide with Selangor heading the list with 45,287 followed by Johor with 37,411.

As good citizens, we should be more sensitive to the needs of people who are less fortunate, in this case the disabled.

The nation is heading towards an ageing population, and some elderly citizens may require the aid of a wheelchair to move around.

My point is, disabled-friendly facilities are necessary as a part of a caring society.

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