KUALA LUMPUR:The Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) has set up the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Communication Unit to improve the facilities for two-way communication between the government and this group.<br /> <br /> Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the unit, established in conjunction with PwD Day today, would be led by a member of the PwD community.<br /> <br /> Apart from this, Saifuddin said, a sign language interpreter, Mohamad Nazrul Azwa Zulkipply, would be appointed as his special functions officer to further facilitate and boost these communication efforts on a continual basis.<br /> <br /> "We at KKMM will also make an effort to implement communication methods that are more PwD friendly, including the use of sign language, subtitles and voice over in disseminating information and providing content," he said in a statement here today.<br /> <br /> Saifuddin is confident that with these steps, the government through KKMM could continue to improve communication with the people including the PwD community to ensure that they are always onboard in enjoying the country's prosperity.<br /> <br /> He said the government subscribed to the principle of inclusivity to ensure that no one would be marginalised, adding that the PwD is an important group which makes a big contribution to the country's development.<br /> <br /> He said based on statistics issued by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as at October this year, the number of PwD registered with it through the Persons with Disabilities Information System (SMOKU) was 581,265.<br /> <br /> "However, the figure is far lower than the projection given in the World Health Organisation (WHO) report which estimates that 15 per cent of a country's population is made up of PwD, meaning the actual number of PwD in Malaysia is much higher than the current statistics.<br /> <br /> "In this connection, we should intensify efforts to not only understand but also appreciate PwD as part of our big family," he added.<br /> <br /> -- BERNAMA