It has been a while since I wheeled to the Pandan Perdana wet market with Wuan. Most of the time we just drive there although it is just a short walk from where we live due to the various barriers we encounter on the pavements along the way. Last Sunday, we decided to take a leisurely walk to the market for breakfast. What I encountered that morning reminded me of why I had seldom gone on such strolls.

Wheelchair user on the road to avoid the broken pavement at Pandan Perdana.

A damaged section of the pavement forced me to go on the road. This broken pavement at Jalan Perdana 3/1 of Pandan Perdana has gone unrepaired for the past few months. A heavy crane truck that parked on it broke the concrete and gouged a big hole in the turfing. Many residents use this route to go to the wet market and also to the bus stop situated just down the road. Pedestrians, especially senior citizens, may trip on the broken slabs of concrete. Wheelchair users like me have no choice but go on the road and risk getting run over by passing vehicles.

It is very common to see vehicles parked on it causing pedestrians to go on the road as well. Such inconsiderate drivers should be heavily penalised for illegal parking, causing obstruction and endangering pedestrians. The Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya should step up its enforcement against these law breakers. Another alternative is to put up bollards or rails to prevent vehicles from parking on the pavements. However, the pavements needs to be widened to 1200 mm to conform to the MS 1184 and MS 1331. It is a tight fit for wheelchair in its current form at 900 mm.

I took the news of the Kuala Lumpur MRT project with some enthusiasm and many pinches of skepticism. Past experiences have taught me that public transport facilities for disabled people in Malaysia always fall short of the acceptable standards despite assurances from the government.

The main grouse with public transport in the Klang Valley for disabled people is the lack of accessibility and poor connectivity. Right from the moment one steps out from the house and even before reaching the bus stops, there are multiple barriers to contend with.

Sidewalks, footpaths and pavements generally lack kerb ramps or damaged by indiscriminately parked vehicles. These are in addition to obstructions along the pathways and drain grilles that can potentially trap wheels and heels. The problem does not end there.

At the time of writing, there are no accessible buses serving Pandan Perdana where I live. I am certain this is not an exception. Most of the RapidKL buses serving housing estates are not accessible. The question begging answers is how are disabled people suppossed to get to the MRT stations from our homes?

Circle of Mobility for Disabled People

To ensure that disabled people have access to the MRT, the Circle of Mobility for Disabled People must be considered from a holistic perspective. The journey to the bus stops, the buses and eventually to the MRT stations and the trains must be uninterrupted by barriers. Otherwise, the most accessible MRT stations will be useless to disabled people because we cannot get to them.

Peter Tan – wheelchair user – Tilite ZRA Series 2.

After a few days of looking forlornly at the partially assembled Tilite ZRA Series 2 wheelchair, I got Wuan to spend some time to perform minor adjustments and finally got to use it for a full day yesterday. Most apparent with this new wheelchair is that I am seated higher and my bare feet are very comfortable on the footrest with one piece ABS cover.

I am seated higher due to the very taut seat upholstery and the new two-inch Supracor Stimulite Sport cushion that I got to go with the wheelchair. Although the Stimulite Sport is firm, it is also surprisingly very comfortable. My buttocks have never felt so pampered in a long while.

This wheelchair will take some getting used to. The dynamics are different from the folding ultra lightweight aluminium that I have been using for the past three years. It is very responsive due to it being rigid. Over the next few weeks or even months, there will be minor tweakings to dial it in to give an even better fit.

The Tilite ZRA Series 2 wheelchair with accessories costs US$3100 (RM9920 at time of purchase) plus US$420 (RM1344) for shipping. The Supracor Stimulite Sport is another US$290 (RM928) excluding shipping. For the amount I paid, I earnestly hope this wheelchair will last a long time or at least until I have saved enough to be able to replace it.

In the meantime, I will have the broken cross brace from the aluminium wheelchair disassembled and sent for welding locally. I was quoted JPY24,000 (RM900) for replacing it. That cost excludes shipping from Matsunaga’s factory in Japan and workmanship. I figured the replacement is not worth it as this wheelchair is now relegated to being the spare wheelchair that I will hardly use.