A mosquito buzzed in my ear a while ago. I smacked myself silly but it escaped. There is a loud ringing in my ear now.

Non-disabled drivers merrily displaying their inconsideration at LCCT-KLIA on July 15.
Photo by Wuan.

At a meeting with AirAsia Executive Vice President Bo Lingam on July 25, among the other issues that the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) brought up were the abuse of accessible parking at the LCCT-KLIA car park. Non-disabled drivers disregarded the prominently displayed wheelchair signs and the wheelchair logos painted on the ground and parked their vehicles there anyway.

Following that, Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAB), the operator of LCCT-KLIA, was informed of the situation. In a response to AirAsia and BEAT on August 1, MAB informed us that the car park management had instructed guards to ensure that the accessible parking are not misused and that cars of non-disabled drivers parking there will be clamped.

When I arrived at the LCCT-KLIA for AisAsia’s press conference on August 4, I saw a guard and a man in plain clothes jotting down the car numbers. None of the cars that were parked at the accessible parking sported the wheelchair logo. None were fitted with hand control kit. None of the cars were clamped. Plastic traffic barriers were put up at the other empty lots to prevent further abuse.

Clamped for abusing an accessible parking at LCCT-KLIA..
Photo by Wuan.

By using the barriers to stop indiscriminate parking by non-disabled drivers, it also created problems for disabled drivers driving alone. Disabled drivers will be unable to move the barriers by themselves. When I wanted to park, Wuan had to help the guard to move the barriers. And I had a strong suspicion that staff of the car park management was noting down the car number and clamped the car because they were informed that we would be there that day. I wonder if they are enforcing this 24/7.

When Wuan and I got back to the car park after the press conference, only one of the 4 cars abusing the accessible parking had its front wheel clamped. The car park management had done something but that was not enough. Nevertheless, I am not blaming the car park operator solely for this. It is the attitude of the few inconsiderate drivers that is causing this problem.

Malaysians need to be more civic-minded. We should not need to be reminded to give up our seats to senior citizens and pregnant women in buses and trains. Drivers should give pedestrians right of way at pedestrian crossings. Accessible toilets should not be abused. When adults act inconsiderately, children emulate. Monkey see, monkey do. Is inconsideration what we want to teach our children?

Dobbs plugged my earlier entry on Inconsiderate Drivers here.

The Digital Awakening has been shortlisted for the Top 20 AllMalaysian Bloggers Project (AMBP) Blog contest. The AMBP is part of The Star Online’s information portal AllMalaysia.info. This contest is jointly organised by The Star and Genting.

I would like to invite readers of The Digital Awakening to vote for this blog, not so much for me to win the prize but to show support to the advocacy movement on disability issues that my colleagues at the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) have been fighting for.

Disabled persons in Malaysia still face a lot of problems in all aspects of our lives. From the built-environment to public transport, we have to face one barrier after another. That is preventing us from participating meaningfully in society and living a fulfilling life.

It is hoped that with the publicity generated from winning this contest, more people with become aware of the challenges that we face. There is a general lack of understanding why people are disabled. People are disabled because of attitudinal barriers. Society in general sees disability as other people’s problem and delegates it to the lowest priority when solving disability-related issues.

To resolve the problems faced by disabled persons, there is a need to mainstream disability. There is a need to view disability as society’s problem as a whole rather than the exclusive problem of the minority. Truly, disabled persons are already part of society whether we realise it or not. We cannot continue to ignore this reality.

Some people are born disabled. Some people become disabled in mid-life from accidents and diseases. Some people become disabled due to old age. No one can be certain that they will never become disabled. No one can be certain that their loved ones will never become disabled. Therefore, this is an issue that everyone should be concerned with.

With this, I humbly appeal to you to vote for The Digital Awakening. Please let the voices of disabled persons be heard loud and clear. In its essence, Malaysia is a caring society. Let us show that compassionate virtue by ensuring that disabled persons and all marginalised people in Malaysia have equal opportunity to live with dignity. In this golden anniversary of our beloved nation’s independence, let us work towards making disabled persons achieve independence in their lives as well. Lets all build a nation with a soul. Then we can truly and proudly proclaim that Malaysia has indeed achieved Kemerdekaan.

To vote for The Digital Awakening, click on the button below or follow this link. You need to be registered with MyStar to vote.

Thank you.

p/s: By the way, today is my birthday. *hint hint*

Model of the aisle chair that AirAsia will equip all its aircraft with.
Photo by Wuan.

A wheelchair user nicely tucked in an airplane seat would feel pretty helpless without the means to move around. Never mind that the seat is luxuriously leather. On long-haul flights, I usually inform the airline of my needs well in advance to ensure that they are prepared. For me, one of the most useful piece of equipment inside an aircraft is an aisle chair. I need that to get to the toilet. The aisle chair is also important for me to get into and out of aircrafts at the airport.

Malaysia Airlines aisle chair at Penang International Airport for moving passengers from the airport into the aircraft.

Therefore it was great news for wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility when AirAsia Group Chief Executive Director Dato’ Tony Fernandez announced that all of AirAsia’s planes will be equipped with at least one aisle chair. This will clear a lot of anxieties for disabled passengers who need mobility inside aircrafts to empty their bladder in the privacy of the toilets.

Japan Airlines aisle chair at Narita International Airport for moving passengers from the airport into the aircraft.

The aisle chair is actually a wheelchair without the large back wheels that we normally see. Small casters are used in place. It has a narrow seat and high back to fit into the narrow aisles inside aircrafts. The chair has 2 straps - one a diagonal restraint for the torso and the other to keep the legs close together. It is not a comfortable thing to be in but is essential for mobility. The chair is also very portable and easily foldable into very compact configurations for easy storage.

Japan Airlines aisle chair at Narita International Airport with the large wheels removed.

AirAsia Press press conference backdrop at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

It is difficult not to love Dato’ Tony Fernandez, Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia, especially if one is a disabled person. Immediately after the protest by the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT), Dato’ Fernandez personally met with members of BEAT to discuss the ways to resolve issues faced by disabled persons wanting to book seats to fly with AirAsia.

AirAsia GCEO Dato’ Tony Fernandez giving his speech at the press conference at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

Following that meeting on July 20, AirAsia held a press conference yesterday (August 4, 2007) to officially announce the measures taken by the company to ensure that disabled persons will be able to fly with the airline. Dato’ Fernandez told members of the press and about 50 BEAT members who were present at LCCT-KLIA yesterday that AirAsia has purchased 2 ambulifts – one for LCCT-KLIA and the other for Kota Kinabalu International Airport – to ease the boarding and disembarking of people with reduced mobility and disabled persons.

Members of BEAT at AirAsia’s press conference at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

He also announced the current fleet of AirAsia’s Airbus 320 planes and all planes in the future will be equipped with at least one aisle chair for the mobility of passengers. All toilets inside the aircrafts will be affixed with handle bars for the convenience of passengers. After the press conference, members of the press and BEAT were invited to test out an ambulift similar to the two that AirAsia have purchased and will be operational in 3 months. As part of the program to sensitise AirAsia staff on disability issues, Dato’ Fernandez invited BEAT to work with AirAsia Academy in training on those matters. He has offered to employ 3 staff at AirAsia’s call centre and a few more in guest relations positions. That was not all!

BEAT Coordinator Christine Lee giving her speech at AirAsia’s Press press conference at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

Dato’ Fernandez has allocated space on the skin of AirAsia’s newest plane, the 50th in the fleet that we had the privilege to see yesterday, to prominently promote BEAT’s and disabled persons’ cause like what is being done with Manchester United and the Williams F1 Team both of which AirAsia is sponsoring. That is not all yet! He has also requested from BEAT a tagline, quote or slogan for the message to be carried by Rooney and Ronaldo, both players of Manchester United. How cool can that be?

Dato’ Tony Fernandez posing with BEAT members applauding AirAsia
for resolving issues faced by disabled passengers.
Photo by Wuan.

I was a skeptic – still a little skeptical until I see the ambulifts and fly with AirAsia – but I have to give it to Dato’ Tony for being the only public figure in Malaysia who has taken the problems faced by disabled persons seriously and openly addressed it immediately. He has set a standard for all other corporations and the government to follow in making Malaysia an inclusive society. I like most his attitude when he said to take a negative and turn it into something positive.

An ambulift similar to the one that AirAsia has purchased parked beside
the newest aircraft in the fleet at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

Syabas Dato’ Fernandez; Syabas AirAsia; and most of all Syabas to my fellow advocates in BEAT, especially Christine and Ragu for making this happen. The journey may still be long but this success with AirAsia has shown us all that with the right attitude, anything is possible and the sky may not even be the limit.

More photos:

Ambulift docking beside AirAsia’s newest Airbus 320.
Photo by Wuan.

BEAT members watching a demonstration of the ambulift at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

BEAT members testing out the ambulift at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

Peter Tan tranferring from plane seat to the aisle chair. Holding the
chair from behind is AirAsia Executive Vice President Bo Lingam.
Photo by Wuan.

Peter Tan trying to get into the toilet in AirAsia’s Airbus 320.
Photo by Wuan.

AirAsia’s plane stairs at LCCT-KLIA.
Photo by Wuan.

Read also:
AirAsia Still Practices Discrimination Against Disabled People
AirAsia, BEAT And What Disabled People Really Need