Physically carrying passengers with disabilities to board the new Penang ferries could be more dangerous to them than help, activists said today.
Society of Disabled Persons Penang former president Tan Kwan Au said it was difficult for wheelchair users to enter the new faster and smaller models, unlike the recently retired older vessels.
After navigating their way on board, passengers will have to go down a flight of stairs to access the seating area.
In the past, they could remain seated in the comfort of their own vehicles throughout the 20-minute crossing from the mainland to the island.
As the new ferry service operator, Penang Port Sdn Bhd had reportedly assured that an attendant would be on standby to provide assistance. Still, Tan said safety remains a primary concern for disabled persons.
"To be carried into the boats is not what we want. The process is often dangerous.
"For example, I have breathing problems, and I will not be able to breathe if you carry me the wrong way," the 68-year-old artist told Malaysiakini.
Similarly, former Petaling Jaya city councillor Anthony SB Thanasayan said offering to help persons with disabilities, without the proper skills, could actually expose both parties to the risk of injuries.
"Sometimes people think helping us is the answer, but it is not.
"They mean well, but they are actually putting us in further danger. If we fall, there's no recovery, it's worse for us," said the PetPositive president, an NGO dedicated to animal-assisted therapy for the disabled and elderly.
He said most motorised wheelchairs are also heavy contraptions that could prove difficult to lift for people without experience doing so.
Being based in Petaling Jaya, Anthony told Malaysiakini the images he had seen showed "unacceptable signs" of little navigation space in the new ferry for any form of assistance to the disabled passengers.
Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled secretary-general Harvinder Kaur said the access problem starts with an incline at the entrance to get in and out of the ferry, aside from narrow passageways and cramped seats.
"These are a total no-no for persons with disabilities," she said, adding that it could also pose difficulties for elderly passengers.
While there could be officers on duty to assist passengers with disabilities, she stressed a need to ensure they are trained to meet various requirements and unique conditions.
"Many of our disabled friends on wheelchairs, they have been dropped many times by people trying to help.
"I have come across many such cases," Harvinder said, adding that initial input from her members in Penang had also revealed other shortcomings on board in terms of disabled-friendly facilities.
"For example, for the deaf, there must be visual announcements in case of an emergency," she added.
Contacted for comment, a Penang Port official said the ferry operator is committed to improving its services and welcomes feedback from all passengers.
At the same time, the official noted that it did not receive any related complaints from disabled passengers who came on board in the first three days since the new ferry service started its operations. - Mkini
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