Materials for the ReAL Roundtable.

The Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat organised Real Access for Life (ReAL) Roundtable (Persidangan Akses untuk Kehidupan Sebenar) to look into the problems of accessibility that disabled persons have been facing at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel and Convention Centre. The event held in conjunction with International Day of Disabled Persons also involved the Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The topics covered and speakers for the morning sessions were:

Building a Disabled Friendly Townscape: The Malaysian Experience by Puan Norliza Hashim, President of the Malaysian Institute of Planners

Voluntary Corporate Compliance by Puan Khalilah Talha, General Manager of Corporate Communications, PLUS

Accessibility to Public Amenities: A Right of Persons with Disabilities by Professor Yutaka Takamine, University of the Ryukus, Japan

The speakers all provided good insights into the design, implementation and the importance of respecting the rights to accessible public amenities for disabled persons and those with mobility-impairments. Generally there is awareness among planners and corporations regarding such issues but the implementation of and compliance to existing legislation in such matters is severely lacking.

Dato’ Seri Shahrizat and Professor Yutaka and participants of the ReAL Roundtable.

However, the most embarrassing revelation came from Professor Yutaka when he revealed that Malaysia Airlines compelled him to sign an indemnity form before allowing him to fly to Malaysia. The good Professor only signed because he wanted to come and make his presentation as invited by the Ministry. He intimated that he will write a complaint letter to Malaysia Airlines regarding this matter.

Professor Yutaka and I.

Lets hope Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who was present and got further details from Professor Yutaka will take this issue up with Malaysia Airlines. This blatant act of discrimination against disabled persons is not acceptable, more so when the person is a guest of the government and a distinguished scholar affiliated with UNESCAP and other prestigious international organisations.

Later in the morning, four advocates on disability talked about challenges faced by specific disabled communities. The speakers were Dr. Wong Huey Siew from Malaysian Association for the Blind, Encik Mohamad Sazali Shaari, President of Malaysian Federation of the Deaf, Ms. Teoh Hooi Ting from United Voices and Ms. Bathmavathi Krishnan, Executive Committee of Society of the Orthopaedically Handicapped Malaysia (POCAM). The presentation was moderated by Cik Ras Adiba Radzi and Puan Khairiah Talha.

(L – r) Ras Adiba Radzi, Bathmavathi Krishnan, Teoh Hooi Ting, Dr. Wong Huey Siew, Khairiah Talha and Mohamad Sazali Shaari.

The strongest message yet came from Bathmavathi who talked at length about Malaysia having First World facilities but when it comes to accessible facilities, we are still very much stuck in a Third World quagmire. Most glaring were the buses used to transport athletes for the recently concluded Fespic Games. None met the minimum standards on accessibility for wheelchair users. Bathmavathi’s message was simple. Bring accessible facilities up to speed with the development of the nation. Disabled persons do not want to be left behind.

Lunch was a rushed affair as the programme for the morning extended way beyond the schedule. We also needed to be in time for the satellite window for the teleconference from Tokyo. JICA had arranged for Professor Satoshi Kose to speak on the topic titled From Barrier Free to Universal Design: Including Everyone in the Society. That was an interesting presentation because many of the concepts expounded are still alien to Malaysia. Professor Satoshi is with the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture in Japan.

Professor Satoshi speaking about universal design live from Tokyo via teleconferencing.

Mr. Joseph Kwan from UDA Consultants Ltd. Hong Kong then ran a very visually interesting presentation on accessible public transport in other countries. I missed the first half of his presentation as I had to perform my scheduled intermittent catheterisation. Nevertheless, seeing the effort other countries have made to provide accessibility to all made many of us wonder why Malaysia’s largest and most modern fleet of public buses still do not see the urgent need to emulate and implement such standards and why local authorities have never seriously enforced the Uniform Building By-Law that has been in existence since the 1990s.

The presentations culminated in a breakout session where participants were encouraged to provide feedback on how the issue of accessibility can be addressed by the government. A white paper will be drawn up and presented to the highest level of the government. The breakout sessions consisted of five topics: Social Barriers, Physical Barriers, Economic Barriers, Issues in Implementation, and Enforcement, Legislation and Standards.

My opinion is that it is impossible to come out with a solution within one hour during the breakout sessions. If it was that easy, disabled persons would not have held a rally again recently to demand for accessible public transport twelve years after a similar rally was organised to demand access for wheelchair users to ride the STAR LRT. Nonetheless, I am keeping my fingers crossed that something concrete will come out of this. To disabled persons, the time to listen to empty talks from the government is over. We want action and we want it now.

Disabled face daily barriers

KUALA LUMPUR: “We want disabled-friendly vehicle, We cannot get into buses, We want barrier-free and accessible buses.” Scrawled on placards, these plaintive pleas represented some of the daily obstacles faced by wheelchair-bound people in getting around in public.

Led by Damai Disabled Persons Association of Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan, the group of disabled people gathered at the KL Sentral bus stop, lobbying for facilities that are more sensitive to their needs.

Besides demanding disabled-friendly buses, they also wanted disabled-friendly infrastructure such as wheelchair ramps at bus stops.

NO RAMP: V. Puspanathan, 30, demonstrating the difficulty of getting out of a bus by dragging himself down the steps while struggling with his wheelchair.

The association’s president V. Murugeswaran said buses were one of the most important modes of public transport for the disabled, as most of them did not own a car and taxis were too expensive.

He said they were disappointed with the public bus operator, RapidKL, which had failed to fulfil its promise to provide 100 disabled-friendly buses.

“RapidKL bought new buses in September but we have yet to see one that is disabled-friendly,” Murugeswaran told reporters in conjunction with the International Day of Disabled Persons.

“Without public transport, we lose out on a lot of opportunities such as jobs and education.

“At this celebration, we want to show decision makers our daily obstacles but we do not want charity, we want to be independent,” he said.

Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) coordinator Christine Lee said they had sent a memorandum to RapidKL to explain the needs of the disabled.

“Statistics have shown that the number of disabled people is rising due to accidents and old age.

“Disabled-friendly facilities are accessible and safe for wheelchair-bound people, the elderly, young children as well as pregnant women,” she said.

When contacted, RapidKL corporate communications division senior manager Katherine Chew said the 100 units of disabled-friendly buses would be delivered in batches from Europe soon.

“We hope they will arrive by January,” she said.

She also urged the disabled community to be patient, as changes could not be made overnight.

Dude, Where’s My Bus?

After being taken for a ride by Rapid KL for more than two months, members from Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) staged a rally at the Jalan Tun Sambanthan bus stop opposite the KL Monorail Station to demand for accessible public transport on December 3. The rally was organised in conjunction with the International Day of Disabled Persons that fell on the same day.

The New Straits Times had reported on September 25, 2006 that a “RapidKL spokesperson said the transport company had bought 100 disabled-friendly buses with ramps. These would be delivered next month.”

Following the rally, a news report quoted Katherine Chew, Senior Manager Corporate Communications of Rapid KL, as saying that “the 100 units of disabled-friendly buses would be delivered in batches from Europe soon” and that Rapid KL hoped the buses will arrive by January. She also urged disabled persons to be patient as “changes cannot be made overnight.”

If waiting for twelve years is not patient enough, what is? Christine Lee and V. Murugeswaran should know better. They are veterans in advocating for accessible public transport in 1994 when STAR LRT was built without such facilities. A dozen years down the road, they are still waiting. Listening to them recount the campaign back then made me realise how little Malaysia has progressed where rights of disabled persons are concerned.

Moreover, can the promised 100 buses serve the needs of the mobility-impaired who live in different places all over the Klang Valley? BEAT foresees that the limited frequency and insufficient interconnectivity of these buses will render it ineffective. The decision to acquire only 100 accessible buses out of the 1000 that was ordered defies logic. It looks like Rapid KL never seriously considered the mobility-impaired when the decision was made for the purchase. Why limit it to only 100 when an entire fleet of accessible buses will benefit everyone?

This oversight, either deliberate or inadvertent, has led Christine and Murugeswaran to the forefront again to campaign for accessible public buses. This is another uphill battle as there is a strong reluctance to make all Rapid KL buses fully accessible. Do wheelchair users have to wait another twelve years only to be disappointed again? We certainly are not asking for things to change overnight. Public transport is a basic right for everyone, disabled or otherwise. What we want is a firm commitment and a reasonable timeframe from Rapid KL to make their entire fleet of buses accessible. Is that too much to ask for?