You have let us down, disabled tell CMs and MBs

The disabled and volunteers leave the Damai association centre to demonstrate the problems they encounter daily.

PETALING JAYA: Organisations for the disabled today staged a protest against chief ministers and menteris besar for failing to design townships that are disabled-friendly.

Seventeen organisations nationwide took part in the gathering to demonstrate the difficulties they encounter daily.

Several wheeled themselves, while others were assisted by volunteers, from the Damai association centre here to a bus stop half a kilometre away to show the problem they face just to take a bus.

Damai Disabled Person Association president V Murugeswaran said there are no ramps for the wheelchair-bound at bus stops and the walkways are often blocked.

“It is almost impossible for us to move around freely.

“We are entering 2020 but we have not heard of any menteri besar or chief minister leading the way to make our daily movements easier,” he told reporters.

The disabled and volunteers leave the Damai association centre to demonstrate the problems they encounter daily.

Murugeswaran called on local councils to appoint a disabled councillor each to help design disabled-friendly facilities in townships, as is being done by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

By appointing a disabled councillor, he said, MBPJ has become one of the most disabled-friendly townships not only in Selangor but also nationwide.

He also called for strict enforcement of motorists who take up parking space reserved for the disabled.

Another participant, Christine Lee, urged the government to ensure that there are sufficient facilities for the disabled in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020.

Representatives from Kuala Lumpur and Melaka make their way to the bus stop.

She said the disabled have become regular travellers and places such as airports, hotels and tourist destinations must be equipped with disabled-friendly facilities to keep Malaysia on par with other countries.

“Disabled Malaysians are looking for seamless public transportation that is easy for them to move around,” she said.

A group from Johor said it is almost impossible for those outside the Klang Valley to move around without cars as there are no facilities such as ramps and disabled-friendly buses. - FMT