Society's relaxed attitude on PWD facilities makes group's daily routine tougher - Ras Adiba

KUALA LUMPUR: Society's attitude of not giving importance to facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) makes daily routines, including school sessions, more challenging for the community.

In this regard, OKU Sentral president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi hoped that relevant parties, including school management, will be more sensitive by providing PwD-friendly facilities.

"This has been a problem for decades, in which society has the perception that (the issue) of PwD facilities should only be taken lightly. We have a right to go to school, and when our friends who need support are required to be in classes on higher floors... then what we can do is to have the class changed to the ground floor and not by carrying PwD students up and down.

"The school management needs to have empathy. If such situations are happening, then please do let me know so that we can highlight them, because awareness and support for PwDs are not just for the young but for future generations as well," she said here today.

Ras Adiba told reporters this when responding to reports of a student in Kuala Selangor with Cerebral Palsy who has to be carried to her class on a higher floor as the school has no tram facility.

Ras Adiba, who represents the PwD community in Dewan Negara, said it was every party's responsibility, including the media, to publicise the provision of PwD-friendly facilities and amenities.

"We always conduct disability quality training and carry out access audits, and we also cooperate with the local authorities such as in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur City Hall where we try to get them to be in our shoes for a day so that they know what it feels like when there is no interpreter, no PwD-friendly information and so on," she said.

Earlier, she joined Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong's visit to the Ampang Park Light Rail Transit (LRT) station where elevator and escalator facilities were inspected.

Commenting on the damage to the lift and escalator facilities at the Ampang Park LRT station, making it difficult for the elderly and PwDs, Ras Adiba called on these groups to check on the status of the facilities before embarking on the journey.

"Before starting your trips, call the Rapid Rail hotline at 03-78852585 to ensure a smooth journey," she said.

-- BERNAMA