Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat – Page 4 – Peter Tan

When Self-Enablement Is Not Enough

I am living with tetraparesis – muscular weakness of all my four limbs. My hands are weak although I have functional use of my arms. I have learnt to live with paralysis and the necessity in doing things differently where I can and use adaptive aids where I cannot.

I renovate the house for wheelchair access. I get the best wheelchair I can afford so that I can be more independent. This is also to protect my shoulders from repetitive strain injury and to improve my posture. Even the wheelchair cushion to protect my buttocks from developing pressure sores costs more than RM1,000.

I got a car, installed a hand control kit and learnt to drive because public transport service is scant when it comes to fulfilling the needs of disabled people who need to move around. Nevertheless, I still prefer buses and trains to driving because I can dispense with the need to transfer from wheelchair to car and vice versa every time I go out.

Over the years, I have spent a handsome amount for adaptive aids and renovations to enable myself to the best of my ability. That, unfortunately, is not enough for me to live a truly fulfilling life. The world outside is fraught with barriers the moment I get out from my house. Danger from bad design and construction lurks at every turn of the corner.

What I cannot understand is why the government continue to allow barriers to be put up despite recognising the importance of accessibility to the built environment for disabled people as promulgated in the Persons with Disabilities Act. Why cannot our country, in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh, put in effort to make the infrastructure accessible to everyone?

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.
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.
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.
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.
Photo by Wuan.

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.

Disability Equality Training For JOCV And Malaysian Counterparts

Thirty members from the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and their Malaysian counterparts from various disability-related governmental agencies participated in a one-day Disability Equality Training (DET) at the Pusat Latihan Perindustrian dan Pemulihan Bangi (PLPP Bangi) last Thursday. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Kenji Kuno. I played the supporting role as a co-facilitator.

Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating the Disability Equality Training (DET) for JOCV members and Malaysian counterparts

Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating Disability Equality Training (DET) for JOCV members at PLPP Bangi.
Photo by Wuan.

The two main components in DET are the Social Model of Disability and Action Planning. Social Model fosters the understanding of the causes of disability while Action Planning foments the removal those causes to enable full participation of disabled people in society.

Disability Equality Training (DET) Workshop in session.
Photo by Wuan.

I am glad to say that the participants left the workshop with a good knowledge on how they can remove disabling factors that they encounter in the course of their work. I was thinking would it not be excellent if the Malaysian government adopts DET as a standard course in the civil service. This will definitely expand the understanding of disability issue in the general population that will wishfully lead to a more inclusive society.

Group photo with JOCV members after the Disability Equality Training (DET) Workshop.
Photo by Wuan.