Facilities for disabled abused by the able-bodied

Awareness of facilities provided for the disabled is still lacking among some members of the public based on the abuse made against such facilities.

Among the most glaring of these abuse cases is the use of parking lots designated for the disabled by members of the public who are physically normal.

The management of hypermarkets and shopping complexes as well as the rest stops (R&R) along the highways have provided designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities (PWD).

These parking spaces, usually located near the entrances to the hypermarkets and shopping complexes, are supposed to assist the disabled to have easy access to the premises while that at the R&R stops are meant for the disabled to easily go to the shops or toilets.

Despite the presence of signs depicting the 'man on wheelchair' symbol, there are still a number of vehicles that carried the able-bodied persons being left at these parking spaces.

First incident.

At a hypermarket in the city, a car with a physically-fit family simply rolled to a stop at a parking space reserved for the disabled.

When queried by this writer who is physically-disabled and who happened to be there, the driver of the car retorted: "Only for a short while, anyhow this space is vacant...".

The driver gave this writer a rather sinister glare before walking away.

Second incident.

Recently this writer had stopped at the R&R area at the Ayer Keroh lay-by of the North-South Highway.

When he wanted to use the 'OKU' toilet, he had to wait for several minutes as the toilet was occupied by someone else.

He was later surprised to see a physically normal person walking out of the toilet.

When pointed by this writer that the toilet was meant for the disabled, the other person angrily replied: "I can do whatever I wish!"

"It is difficult. There are many people who are still selfish. Despite the presence of notices that this facility is for the disabled, there are many who simply ignored it," said a maintenance worker at the R&R stop on many highway users who abused the facilities for the disabled.

Is the PWD Act sufficient?

In Malaysia, there is the Persons With Disabilities Act. But is the Act sufficient to protect the interest of the disabled?

"This Act is good for the disabled but it does not spell out the specific penalty for those who abuse the facilities for the disabled," according to lawyer Nordin Shanmugam Abdullah.

He said the Act refrained from outlining the provisions that spell out the punishment for offenders who abused facilities meant for the disabled and as long as there was absence of such provisions many would take the Act lightly.

"For them (public), using facilities meant for the disabled is not an offence. The act provides no remedies for this. Hence, there is no offence and offenders simply escape punishment.

"Only that the abuse of facilities designed for use by the disabled is morally wrong. There is nothing else that can be done as there is no enforcement and no fines (for doing the abuse)," he said.

For social activist Gurmukh Singh, the PWD Act is 'toothless' as there is no enforcement unit.

"If you throw rubbish, there is a fine. Smoking at public spots also draws a fine, so the abuse of facilities for the disabled also deserves a fine.

"The problem is that we do not have an enforcement unit on the abuse of such facilities. As long as this situation persists, the abuse would go on," he said.

Not difficult to show some concern

On facilities for the disabled at buildings and premises, Gurmukh Singh said there were still many of such structures like shopping complexes and banks that failed to provide the utilities for the disabled.

"As if they are not sensitive and concerned against the plight of the disabled. There are no provisions in the PWD Act that warrants building owners to provide special lifts, ramps and paths for the wheelchairs of disabled.

"They did not commit any offence if they failed to provide such facilities," he said.

Gurmukh Singh said the government had put in much effort to protect the interest of the disabled, hence the society should join in to assist this cause.

"It is not difficult to show some concerns and sensitivities on the disabled," he added. - Bernama