Disabled Gives Thumbs Up For First Blind Senator: The Malay Mail – December 20, 2007

Disabled Gives Thumbs Up For First Blind Senator: Malay Mail - December 20, 2007
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Diasbled give thumbs up for first blind senator

VARIOUS quarters gave the thumbs up to Malaysian Asso ciation for the Blind president Professor Datuk Dr Ismail Md Salleh’s recent appointment as a Dewan Negara senator.
Ismail became the first blind person in the nation’s history to be appointed senator.

However, some also indicated that they would love to have someone who is more in touch with those at the grassroots levels.

Kuala Lumpur Centre for Inde pendent Living peer counsellor Peter Tan greeted the news with enthusiasm, stating that it marked an important move by the government, as there has not been a representative for the dis abled community in Parliament for a long time.

Despite calling the move “the first step towards change,” Tan expressed his wish to see someone elected who was more in touch with the grassroots level to better represent the disabled community in the country.

“With due respect to Ismail, I would have preferred a person with mobility impairment, spe cifically a wheelchair user, to rep resent disabled people in the Par liament. As I see it, people with mobility impairments in Malaysia are facing a host of problems that have gone unresolved for dec ades,” Tan said.

He said, Malaysia lacks an ad equate support system which al lows those who are severely dis abled to look after themselves and continue to be marginalised.

Tan added that these are the things which Ismail needs to look into as senator.

“The appointment of a disabled person as senator is a positive move by the government. I sin cerely hope that Ismail will make an effort to truly understand is sues faced by the disabled com munity.

“While issues like education, employment and accessibility are important, Ismail must never forget the plight of people with severe disabilities who are often forgotten by society and even disability advocates. These are the people whom Ismail must represent in the Parliament,” Tan said.

Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association president Anthony Thanasayan echoed Tan’s views in having a senator who was more actively involved with the grassroots.

“We have been waiting for more than 20 years for a rep resentative to be appointed to Dewan Negara and Ismail’s ap pointment came as good news,”

Thanasayan exclaimed, in which he added, “let’s face it, only a disabled person would under stand what another disabled person is going through.”

Wheelchair remark: Retract that statement: Letters To The Editor – NST – October 25, 2007:

NST Online – Letters
2007/10/25
Wheelchair remark: Retract that statement
By : PETER TAN for Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities Kuala Lumpur

AS a wheelchair user for the last 23 years, I am absolutely upset with Jerai member of parliament Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin for telling fellow-MP Karpal Singh that the latter’s use of a wheelchair is a punishment from God (“Kar-pal: Lawyer wrote part of judgment for civil suit” — NST, Oct 23).
Badruddin’s remark is an affront to all wheelchair users, implying that our condition is a punishment and that we are all sinners.

I have been using a wheelchair long enough to have experienced many times such drivel from holier-than-thou people. People must be educated that being disabled is one of the things that can happen to anybody. People can become disabled. People can become afflicted with diseases. It is part of life.

Perhaps Badruddin seldom meets wheelchair users. As an MP, he should turun padang and meet his electorate to realise that they include disabled people, some of whom are wheelchair users.

He should be working towards empowering disabled people instead of insulting us. After all, he was elected to serve the people and not otherwise.
I call on Badruddin to retract that statement and apologise to all wheelchair users and the disabled community for such an insensitive remark. It does not matter if he was targeting Karpal.

His utterance smacked of insensitivity and ignorance and has insulted the dignity of all wheelchair users.

Uncalled for

THE Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled Malaysia is disappointed with the statement made by Badruddin that the disabled in wheelchairs have been punished by God. The statement was uncalled for.

By ASSOC PROF DR TIUN LING TAfor Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled

THE Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association is outraged at the offensive remark made by Badruddin during the parliamentary session on Oct 22. Referring to MP Karpal Singh, he said: “You are no better calling us (BN MPs) animals. You insult people. Now you are in a wheelchair. God has punished you.”

Disability is not a punishment from God. Badruddin reveals his insensitivity and ignorance in making such a statement. The lack of dignity and decorum shown by several MPs during parliamentary debates recently is appalling.

Instead of abusive personal attacks on fellow MPs, they should focus on fulfilling their responsibilities to their electorate.

By BATHMAVATHI KRISHNAN for Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association

Related entry: Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin: Using A Wheelchair Is God’s Punishment
Screenshots – Wheelchair… ‘God has punished you’
Mental Jog – bad, bad, rude, boy!!
Lim Kit Siang – Insensitive, ignorant, deplorable and abhorrenst attack on the Disabled (OKU)

The Star – July 15, 2007: Disabled protest against AirAsia’s ‘discriminatory’ practices

Sunday July 15, 2007

Disabled protest against AirAsia’s ‘discriminatory’ practices

By PAUL CHOO

SEPANG: More than 20 disabled and wheelchair-bound members of the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) held a protest against AirAsia for its refusal to take passengers who were completely immobile.

The protesters headed by BEAT coordinator Christine Lee, and assistant coordinators V. Murugeswaran and Peter Tan, demanded that AirAsia review its policies and take reasonable steps to ensure facilities and services provided at the LCCT were non-discriminatory.

Lee said that unlike KLIA, the LCCT does not incorporate aerobridges, which allow easier access for passengers to board planes.

“Passengers are instead required to walk up a flight of boarding stairs – a daunting task when one is disabled from the waist down,” she added.

Lee said that when booking AirAsia tickets online, a separate icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”.

“If you clicked “yes”, then you won’t be able to proceed with your booking.

“That’s when I called AirAsia’s call centre, and was told that they were unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile.

“This is even stipulated in Air Asia’s terms and conditions!” she alleged.

Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall.

“One would then have to go from the check-in gate to the aircraft without the wheelchair, which is quite absurd,” she added.

Murugeswaran pointed out that AirAsia also stipulated that the carriage of persons with limited mobility was subject to whether they were able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.

“Passengers who are unable to board the stairs without any assistance would be requested to travel with a carer or companion.

“This is blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable. We want to be independent and not have to rely on other people to chaperon us when travelling,” he said, adding that nothing has been despite BEAT holding a dialogue with AirAsia on the matter more than two years ago.

During the protest, BEAT also urged Malaysia Airports Berhad to ensure all new and old airports in the country were equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.

When contacted, an AirAsia spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the matter for the moment.