Disabled-friendly Malaysia: More needs to be done to address PWD’s welfare
13 MARCH 2015 @ 2:04 PM
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MALAYSIA has a population of nearly 28 million, including persons with disabilities (PWD) who are described as those having long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments. According to the World Health Organisation, there are around one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. In 2012, Malaysia had around 445,006 persons with disabilities registered. This number could be bigger because registration is voluntary. The process of registering as a PWD, more commonly known as Orang Kurang Upaya or OKU in Malaysia, does not take long. The government has taken many initiatives to protect their interests.
Malaysia enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 and became a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. It was ratified in 2010, as a move to address the group’s welfare. In 2007, Malaysia established the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities aimed at increasing their involvement and contribution in the nation’s growth. One of the areas of concern is the housing industry. This shows that the government pays attention to the issue of PWD housing to ensure they are given equal treatment and have the same opportunities as the others. As stated in the National Housing Policy, there is still not enough housing for PWDs. Even if we excluded disabledfriendly houses, there are insufficient homes even for the able bodied. The aged, single mothers and squatters are also affected. Hence, recognising the need for houses for PWDs, the government has decided to provide more units and have included it in Principle Element 1 in the National Housing Policy. Previous studies have shown that houses for wheelchair-users have various benefits, such as reducing the need for care service and the cost of modifying the house.
These special homes enable young PWDs to leave their family home and lead an independent life; reduce home care and lessen the risk o f falls for older wheelchair-users. Wheelchair-bound children could eventually establish their confidence by having control of the home environment. A wheelchair-friendly house also helps the users to have an independent life and reduces their dependence on assistance in carrying out their daily activities. Houses for wheelchair-users are really an ideal place for PWDs. While there are several types of disabilities, physical disability is the second highest group after learning disabilities in Malaysia.
People with learning disabilities might face difficulty in learning, but not difficulty in everyday life, such as taking care of themselves. Wheelchair-users face the most barriers in life and many studies have also found that even houses for them are still wrongly designed. Living in Malaysia, we can barely see facilities for wheel chair users in accessing commercial buildings, government buildings or public transportation, even though we want to achieve a barrier-free living environment. Aren’t wheelchair-friendly houses a basic need for people who are wheelchair-bound? Have we ever considered how their life might be? Do they fall down everyday in the bathroom? Do we need to experience their plight before we consider their needs? Malaysia has various policies, laws and standards for the benefit of PWDs. However, they are still facing difficulty in accessing houses or buildings. Something must be done to help them and make Malaysia a civilised country.
Sr Dr Eng Noorsidi Aizuddin Mat Noor and Leow Chee Kuan , Department of Real Estate, Faculty of Geoinformation & Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor (This is part of a research project by the abovenamed)
Read More : http://dev.nst.com.my/node/76346