Local authorities have been directed to appoint at least one disabled person as a member of their planning and development committee.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said, with input from such a member, the local authorities would have an idea on how to enhance accessibility in buildings and public facilities to render the environment more disabled-friendly.

"Currently, there is already a code of practice where building plans which failed to include disabled-friendly features were not approved. But, an oversight still occurs.

"So, to ensure that the rights of disabled are acknowledged, we raised the matter to the cabinet, which has concurred that an disabled be appointed to the local authorities committee," she said.

Shahrizat said this while speaking as a member of the panel in the Special Disabled Charisma Forum: 'Melonjak Potensi' (Rising to Potential), which was broadcast live for one hour, via Bernama TV, from its premises at Wisma Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) here today.

Spot checks

She said the ministry would conduct inspections to ensure that each of the local authorities abided by the directive.

She said the government was determined to ensure that the well-being of differently-abled persons and their rights were safeguarded in the course of the country's development, and simultaneously, improve their quality of life.

According to the minister, 331,606 disabled persons had registered with the Social Welfare Department, as of last month.

Meanwhile, Shahrizat's welfare and social development advisor Dr Zaliha Omar said, apart from having an disabled in its committee, local authorities should also form an access audit to ensure that disabled facilties in building plans were not overlooked.

She said the ministry was ready to assist the local authorities on how to carryout the access audit, adding that 83 local authorities received assistance on such an aspect, via, a seminar last month.

DBKL leading the way

Zaliha said some local authorities had already appointed an disabled person in their committees, prior to the directive, among them, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which to date, had been working together with more than 400 disabled persons.

She said an disabled-friendly environment based on the universal building concept could be utilised, not only by the disabled but also by senior citizens, pregnant women and children, among others.

During a dialogue session, Malaysian Federation for the Hearing-Impaired president Mohamad Sazali Sha'ari hoped local authorities would ensure that their facilities were functional for the disabled.

"I feel sad that some members of society would take advantage of basic facilities meant for the disabled, such as parking bays," he communicated in sign language which was translated by Sign Language Interpreters Association
president Wan Zuraidah Abu.

Also in the panel were Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled president Mah Hassan Omar and OKU Welfare Council member Anthony Arokia.