Category: Disability Equality Training

Plenary On Disability Equality Training At The 11th Asian Spinal Cord Network (ASCoN) Conference 2012

On my last medical review at the Rehabilitation Medicine Department of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Dr. Nazirah, the organising chairman of the 11th Asian Spinal Cord network Conference, asked if I would like talk about my work on disability rights advocacy at the conference.


Peter Tan speaking about Disability Equality Training (DET) at the ASCoN 2012.
Photo by Wuan.

I thought that would be a good opportunity to promote Disability Equality Training (DET) to a wider audience, especially to doctors and therapists involved with rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury and people living with spinal cord injury as well.


Peter Tan with fellow plenary panelists at ASCoN.
Photo by Wuan.

The conference was to run from 29th November to 2nd December at the Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel. At that time, I had already committed to facilitate a 2-1/2 day DET workshop at University of Malaya. Fortunately, Dr. Julia from the conference’s Scientific Committee slotted me for a 30-minute plenary session on 1st December. This allowed me to ease nicely in just after the workshop.


Dr. Julia Patrick Engkasan with Peter Tan at ASCoN 2012.
Photo by Wuan.

My work for the presentation was already half-done before the conference as I used the slides by Dr. Kenji Kuno of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the same subject. Those slides illustrated DET in an easy to understand way and yet gave a comprehensive picture of what it is all about. I could not have done any better had I attempted to make my own slides.


Dr. Nazirah Hasnan with Peter Tan at ASCoN 2012.
Photo by Wuan.

For many of the local and international delegates, that was the first time they have heard of DET although Dr. Kuno had conducted DET Training of Trainers workshops in 18 countries across the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America for the past several years. I am glad and honoured to be given this opportunity to share with them about DET and how it is changing the landscape in those countries to enable full participation of disabled people in society.

Disability Equality Training For University Of Malaya Disability Liaison Officers

The Students Affairs Division (Bahagian Hal Ehwal Pelajar) of University of Malaya organised a 2-1/2 day Disability Equality Training (DET) workshop from 28th to 30th November for its Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs). This is a newly created position. The DLOs comprise principals and supervisors from all the residential colleges and academic staff. They are the resource persons on disability matters for students and staff of the university.

Peter Tan facilitating DET Workshop for Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs)
Peter Tan facilitating the Disability Equality Training (DET) Workshop at University of Malaya.
Photo by Wuan.

The objectives of this workshop were to identify and include good practices in their work following the Social Model of Disability and to develop a roadmap on implementation of inclusive facilities and services in campus. The fact that the participants already have a basic understanding of disability issues made my work as their facilitator easier.

UM Disability Liaison Officers at DET Workshop
University of Malaya Disability Liaison Officers at the Disability Equality Training Workshop.
Photo by Wuan.

The various DET modules reinforced and expanded the DLOs’ existing knowledge about disability in a logical and easy to understand method. We covered topics like the Social Model of Disability and Medical Model of Disability, and examined the differences between impairment and disability, disabled person and person with disabilities, and worked on paradigm-changing exercises using the open box solution to solve problems. These are the crucial knowledge that the DLOs need when they deal with disability matters.


Group 2 presenting their action plan.
Photo by Wuan.

The workshop concluded with the DLOs coming out with feasible action plans to improve on the existing services and facilities for disabled students. These include coming out with a Standard Operating Procedures for DLOs, increasing the availability of documents in accessible formats and an accessibility map of the campus. These plans are a good start in making DLOs understand their roles and at the same time provide useful information to disabled students who may need them.


Group 3 presenting their action plan.
Photo by Wuan.

It was a privilege to be a facilitator to this faculty of academics, all of whom are experts on their respective fields of study. I would like to record my gratitude to Puan Halimaton Attan, Head Assistant Registrar, and Puan Maznah Azis, Psychology Officer of the Counseling, Career & Disability Section of the Division of Student Affairs, for initiating this workshop and their support in seeing it to a successful conclusion. I hope this will be the catalyst to make University of Malaya a fully accessible campus.


Group 1 presenting their action plan.
Photo by Wuan.


Group photo with Disability Liaison Officers of University of Malaya.
Photo by Wuan.

A New Dawn For The Disability Movement In Malaysia

Winds of change are coming. Impatient as I have been, this is part of the entire process that cannot be hurried. I am a firm believer that there is a place and time for everything. Yet, so often, I forget. But fall in place they do, in their own time.

Disability in Malaysia has evolved from charity-based to rights-based with the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008. At the same time, the disability movement is increasingly practicing a structured and knowledge-based engagement with the relevant stakeholders apart from persuasive and hard-nosed advocacy. These include the Independent Living Programme and Disability Equality Training that were introduced to the movement in 2005 by the Department of Social Welfare and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Independent Living Programme advocates for the provision of support services to enable disabled people to live independently in the community. Disability Equality Training explains disability in a logical manner and encourages commitments to break environmental and attitudinal barriers. Both work in tandem to realise the participation of disabled people in all areas of life.

These two platforms have transformed the disability landscape in the country somewhat but more can be done towards achieving that goal. Now, we have new allies from the Pusat Rakyat Loyar Buruk who are spearheading a revolution to expedite the process of making Malaysia more accessible and inclusive. For once, I may just have the opportunity to witness substantial changes to the built environment in my lifetime.