IN my
lifetime job of raising awareness about disability and the people who have
them, I've come across various kinds of responses from able-bodied
persons.
One of the best I recall was an
email I got from an anonymous writer who was a Datin.
After reading in Wheel Power about
some of the terrible inconveniences that disabled drivers have to put up with
when their special car parks are taken up by non-disabled persons, she
wrote:
"Dear Anthony, I'm ashamed to
tell you that I am one of those people who also grab the temptation to park in
a disabled parking spot when I see it empty – even though I am not a
handicapped driver.
"I always used to think it is
only for a short while and it wouldn't matter to anyone. However, your stories
in your column pricked my conscience to realise how incredibly self-centred and
selfish I really am whenever I do this. Never again! The best thing is to
always leave it empty if you are not disabled."
Although the Datin never revealed
her full identity, I admired her, nonetheless. She possessed the guts to write
in with her sincere apology.
It's one thing to make mistakes. But
it takes a great person to own up for one's wrong and promise to never repeat
it.
But sadly not everyone is as humble
or remorseful when they do wrong as I found out recently.
And the situation left me with no
choice but to get proactive as a user with a disability to make things better.
A close elderly friend's therapy dog
was rushed to the veterinary clinic a couple of weeks ago. I got there as soon
as I could to give him and his pet some moral support.
Fortunately, the Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) had built an excellent wheelchair ramp to access the rows
of shops in the area. It came complete with a covered car park to protect
handicapped drivers from the elements.
But alas, when my friend who drove
me there and I reached our destination, a non-disabled driver's car was parked
smacked right into the special slot.
This despite the fact that there were
two loud signboards clearly indicating that the parking was only for the
handicapped.
The situation got worse when it
started raining cats and dogs.
After a few minutes, we saw someone
run into the car with an umbrella. He had obviously seen my car with a disabled
sticker on it.
But instead of clearing his car off,
he only moved it a few inches so that we could squeeze our vehicle into the
spot - leaving me to get out in my wheelchair where the rain took a beating at
me.
The car park was designed for only
one vehicle.
After much difficulty and getting
part of my body drenched, I managed to get into the vet's clinic where I found
the culprit - a physically fit man in his late 20's - sitting cool as if
nothing had happened.
When I tried to talk to him nicely
about removing his car at once, he refused, arguing with me that he had
"given me enough space" to park my vehicle.
It wasn't until I warned him politely
that I would call MBPJ to fine or have his car towed away immediately when he
dashed out and removed his car.
I was befuddled as to what else the
man needed to embarrass him than to have a person in a wheelchair sitting right
in front of him and to tell him that he had stolen a car park that was meant
for him and persons like him!
A similar situation happened a few
days later.
It was at a local shopping centre
when I came across a restaurant that stacked more than a dozen of their unused
chairs and tables on the side of a ramp that was built for wheelchair access.
They effectively prevented
wheelchairs from going into other shops in the vicinity whilst the able-bodied
were not blocked because they could use the steps.
Rather than to go home feeling
depressed and defeated over the incident, I decided to stay back and fight.
I called the manager of the outfit
as well as the management of the shopping complex to have the barriers removed immediately.
It was unbelievable as to what
happened next.
The restaurant manager started to
blame the shopping complex management for not "informing" him of his
violation.
Would such an obvious hindrance to
customers in wheelchairs be something that needed "reminders" or
"instructions" from the top?
What was worse is that there was
ample room in the restaurant for them to "store" their equipment
without having to block the disabled ramp in the first place.
The silver lining over the whole
incident is that the shopping centre management has decided to work with MBPJ
to come up with an audit access of all their stores in their place.
They will also work out a plan to
educate their business retail centres on how to become more disabled friendly
to special needs customers in the near future.
The End.
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