Access Audit Training For PERKESO – Day 2

The second day of the training for the Return To Work Section staff of PERKESO entailed actual site audit. Participants were divided into five groups accompanied by a facilitator each. I was assigned to Group 4 that was to audit Menara PERKESO, the organisation’s headquarters at Jalan Ampang. Incidentally, several participants of the group worked there, which made the exercise easier as they were familiar with the premises.

Menara PERKESO at Jalan Ampang - Headquarters of Social Security Organisation Malaysia.
Menara PERKESO at Jalan Ampang – Headquarters of the Social Security Organisation Malaysia

Making photographic record for access audit of an accessible parking at Menara PERKESO
Making photographic record for access audit of an accessible parking at Menara PERKESO.

Members of the group that I facilitated displayed great enthusiasm and initiative during the site audit. Although time allocated for this practice was limited, they tried to cover as much ground as possible. If only the officers of local governments showed half as much spirit in ensuring that the built environment is accessible, the infrastructure would not be in the situation it is now where disabled people face great difficulties with barriers all over the place.

Measuring public telephone and toilet seat height at Menara PERKESO
Measuring public telephone and toilet seat height at Menara PERKESO.

Group presentation on findings and recommendations at Audit Access Training for PERKESO's Return To Work Section
Group presentation on findings and recommendations at Audit Access Training for PERKESO’s Return To Work Section.

Participants were required to make a presentation of their findings and make recommendations according to the Malaysian Standard MS 1184: Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings. Generally, all of them have a good grasp of various barriers in the buildings that they audited. In fact, I was surprised at how detailed their findings were. What they need now is more practice in producing an audit report with precise recommendations that is useful to building owners and contractors rectifying the problems. In summing it up, I would say the participants did well and PERKESO is doing the right things where disability issues are concerned.

Group photo at conclusion of Audit Access Training for PERKESO's Return To Work Section
Group photo at conclusion of Audit Access Training for PERKESO’s Return To Work Section.

Access Audit Training For PERKESO – Day 1

The Return to Work Department of PERKESO (Social Security Organisation Malaysia) is running a 2-day Access Audit Training for 36 case managers and placement officers starting today. Dr. Naziaty Yaacob is the chief facilitator, assisted by four co-facilitators, for this workshop held at the Kuala Lumpur PERKESO office.

Simulation exercise of person with low vision outside the Kuala Lumpur Perkeso Office
Simulation exercise of person with low vision outside the Kuala Lumpur Perkeso Office.

The purpose of this workshop is to familiarise participants with barriers in the built-environment, conduct access audits and furnish recommendations for workplaces of disabled members of the organisation under the Return to Work Programme.

We will be conducting access audits of five buildings and their surroundings tomorrow morning, namely the Intercontinental Hotel, Boulevard Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Wisma PERKESO at Jalan Tun Razak and Menara PERKESO Jalan Ampang which is the headquarters of the organisation. I will be facilitating the team auditing Menara PERKESO headed by Tuan Roshaimi bin Mat Rosely, Manager of Return to Work Section.

Disability Equality Training (DET) At SOCSO

SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah, JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely
SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah giving a speech at the opening of the Disability Equality Training workshop. Seated L-R: JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely.
Photo by Wuan.

The Department of Return to Work of the Social Security Organisation Malaysia (SOCSO) organised a Disability Equality Training (DET) workshop for employers in the private sectors and staff of SOCSO last Thursday. Private sector participants were from Malaysia Airlines, British American Tobacco, Sunway Hotel, KFC, Pizza Hut, Ayamas, Sports Toto and Cathay Cineplexes, among others. The theme of the workshop was “Towards Inclusion and Diversity”. It was conducted at Menara PERKESO in Jalan Ampang and officiated by SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah.

JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating the Disability Equality Training at SOCSO
JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating the Disability Equality Training at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

During the half-day DET workshop, Dr. Kenji Kuno guided participants through the various aspects of understanding disability as a social issue and how problems arising from attitudinal and environmental barriers can be resolved by applying the Open Box Solution method. These exercises are in view of making workplaces accessible and inclusive. I acted as the co-facilitator again this time.

SOCSO Claims Manager Edmund Cheong explaining the Return To Work Program
SOCSO Claims Manager Edmund Cheong explaining the Return To Work Program.
Photo by Wuan.

At the afternoon session, SOCSO Claims Manager Edmond Cheong provided a very detailed presentation on the benefits of the Return To Work Program. This program provides support for workers disabled in the course of employment going back to work after treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr. Kenji Kuno giving presentation on Job Coach at SOCSO
Dr. Kenji Kuno giving presentation on Job Coach at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

That was followed by Dr. Kuno’s talk on Job Coach. This is an initiative by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia (JKM) to enable and empower disabled people through gainful employment. Among the many services of Job Coaching are job matching for employers and disabled people, and training and support during employment. Currently, JKM is absorbing the cost of Job Coaching service for employers seeking to hire disabled people.

Group photo with participants at SOCSO Disability Equality Training Workshop - Return To Work Program - Job Coach Seminar
Group photo with participants at SOCSO Disability Equality Training Workshop – Return To Work Program – Job Coach Seminar.
Photo by Wuan.

Group photo with staff of SOCSO
Group photo with staff of SOCSO.
Seated L-R: Peter Tan, Roshaimi Mat Rosely, Dr. Kenji Kuno, Gayathri Vadivel and Edmund Cheong.
Photo by Wuan.