Ensure disabled-friendly premises, local authorities told

Not being able to take legal action against premises which are not disabled-friendly is frustrating for persons with living disabilities (OKU) in Malaysia.

Here, disabled people still have trouble accessing buildings and various premises such as restaurants and banks. But unlike how it is in some western countries, OKUs in Malaysia could not take legal action against such premises.

Damai Disabled Persons Association of Selangor and Federal Territory president, V. Murugeswaran, said this is so because Malaysia’s Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 is not supported by the Anti-Discrimination Act.

“Our Act is more like a guideline, unlike those in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

“America has the Disabilities Act and it’s supported by the American Discrimination Act. In America, if a restaurant doesn’t provide access for a wheelchair-bound, they can be brought to court because their law allows it,” said Murugeswaran.

He said the local authorities here should play a greater role in ensuring that all buildings were built according to standardised guidelines, making the premises accessible for all.

He said the gradient of the ramp and the size of the parking space at some premises were not built according to standard.

“We cannot even use the facilities,” Murugeswaran said.

Click the video below for Astro AWANI’s interview with him:

Meanwhile, television personality and activist Ras Adiba Radzi called for those in the service industry to have an open mind and to look at the minute things of accessibility.

“The attitude of those in the service (industry) is not up there for us. It’s not just for the wheelchair-bound but the elderly and those with children in prams.”

She noted that facilities at new buildings were up to par but the older buildings need to be refurbished to be more accessible.

Below is the video for our interview with Ras Adiba:

The activists’ comments came following PJ City councillor Anthony Thanasayan’s claim earlier this week that a staff at a restaurant he recently went to had denied him his seating preference. Anthony had claimed that the staff had cited restaurant policy in disallowing wheelchairs into the premises. Subsequently, Pizza Hut Malaysia clarified in a statement that they did not have a policy which discriminated its customers with special needs.