Thursday December 24, 2009

Everyday Santas

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Santa lives among us, throughout the year.

IT’S Christmas Eve once more, folks. Thousands will throng churches and yuletide parties later tonight, while children everywhere wait eagerly to unwrap the presents that Santa will leave for them under their Christmas trees.

Who among us dare say that our lovable big, fat man with the long, white beard doesn’t exist? I, for one, am a great believer of Father Christmas.

What I don’t buy, however, are the stories told about him having a permanent home somewhere in the North Pole. Saint Nicholas, as he is also known, is much closer to us than we think.

And he doesn’t come around only once a year as some would have us believe. Why, he lives among us throughout the year. I believe he takes the form of the good people we meet in our daily lives.
Sure, he may have his detractors. 

Which good man or woman doesn’t, these days? However, accusing the jolly old man of stealing the real meaning of Christmas is really going a tad too far.

Hey, it’s not his fault that some people lose focus of the origin of a very special baby born in a manger 2,000 years ago.

Good ol’ Santa for many – including me – epitomises the true spirit of tomorrow’s special holiday.

What would the season of goodwill and cheer be like for children, the poor and the marginalised of the world without St Nicholas around?

Forget the stereotype of Santa bearing gifts in big shopping malls and hotels. Just last week, I was driving around the poorer areas of Petaling Jaya, in Selangor, such as PJS and Old Town, and couldn’t help but marvel at what I saw was happening there.

The pavements on the road were being upgraded with user-friendly designs for everyone. The ends of the pathways had kerb cuts that allow easy access for wheelchairs.

Mothers with prams, children, and the elderly would be able to use the pavements. The pavements also had tactile markings for blind pedestrians to help them move about independently and safely.

I’m thrilled that such facilities are being incorporated everywhere rather than in certain spots only.

To me, the positive changes happening around Christmas time is a strong indicator that the magic of St Nick could possibly be at work in the local councils. What joy it is that the town planners are adopting a more progressive approach towards disabilities and old age issues in the city.

With the increasing implementation of user-friendly designs, it won’t be long before the whole place is transformed into a people-friendly city.

Tonight, I won’t be at midnight mass in church. But I know that many disabled and elderly persons will be. 

Now would be the best time for churches throughout the country to take an access audit exercise to consider how caring their buildings have been to the disability and elderly.

Are they more accessible to people in wheelchairs than they were last year, for instance? Do they provide wheelchair ramps at their entrances?

What about wheelchair-accessible restrooms, lifts and covered reserved car parks so that handicapped and elderly church-goers will not be left out in their activities?

Are there song sheets in Braille for the blind and sign language facilitators for the Deaf?

The spirit of goodwill and cheer shared by Santa and the real reason for the season can only be shared when our hearts (and buildings) are opened wide to all, no matter who they are.

Merry Christmas!

Thursday December 17, 2009

Top dogs

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

A fruitful year with Man’s best friend.

WITH the year fast drawing to a close, today’s column – one of my last few for 2009 – is on my favourite topic: my dogs!
Here are some of the latest adventures that I’ve been sharing with them.

Soo the Golden Retriever: Currently the oldest of my service dogs at age 11, Soo was recently down with stomach and ear infections. However, it wasn’t anything that the vets at the Hartamas 

Veterinary Clinic in Kuala Lumpur couldn’t fix. Soo is now back in good form.

It is well-documented how pets, in their role as special companions, can reach further and deeper into the lives of the disabled and elderly, more than any medical gadget, medication or professional can.

My life with my pets is a testimony of that. I can also attest to similar inspiring stories of other handicapped persons and seniors through my work with Petpositive, an animal-assisted therapy society.

I have seen lives being turned around when pets come into the homes of the disabled and elderly. They are better able to accept their disabilities, have more courage to face the future, and are able to stay focused and keep depression at bay.
Vets, pet food and care companies can play a pivotal role in promoting animal-assisted therapy by exercising their social responsibility.

So who are the needy recipients? It is really not hard to develop an effective selection process as to who can qualify for such assistance.
A government disabled identification card, together with a doctor’s letter, can help to ensure that the good deeds done by benevolent companies and individuals are not abused.

With support from all quarters, the joy of owning pets can be shared by the disabled and elderly. Many of you will probably recall the many wonderful outings I’ve had with Soo. He accompanied me to discussions with government officials and even to a gathering of people with HIV/AIDS. During trips to the supermarket, Soo did not knock down any breakable items from the shelves.

Biman III the Alsatian: Biman is the largest canine in my home. Every night, he still insists on sleeping under my wheelchair next to my bed – something he has been doing since he was a pup. But don’t be fooled as he is alert at all times, listening intently for anyone or anything on the prowl, whether inside or outside the house.

Zeus the baby Alsatian: Zeus is almost the size of Biman. Our latest addition isn’t really a puppy anymore although he still thinks he is one. The canine cadet is now learning to keep his tail and paws from being caught in the wheelchair.

Reba the Shetland Sheepdog: Reba remains true to her calling. She treats all the dogs and I as if we were sheep and herds us back into the house with tiny nips whenever we try to get outside.
Reba is still the best weapon I have against the development of new pressure sores. She zeroes in on them the second any part of my skin starts to break down.

Thursday December 10, 2009

Good week

Wheel Power
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Persons with disabilities turned up in droves to commemorate a special day.

LAST week was fabulous. I was privileged to be at two events commemorating International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) which this year fell on Dec 3.

Last Saturday, nearly 3,000 people, scores of them in wheelchairs or carrying white canes, turned up at a carnival organised by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in Kuala Lumpur where Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil delivered an impassioned speech on disability.

Visitors enjoyed exciting games and learnt about the latest services available to the disabled and the good work done by various NGOs.

Two days earlier, more than 200 people gathered at The Curve shopping complex in Petaling Jaya for an event sponsored by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). It was graced by Selangor State Welfare, Women Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation committee chairman Rodziah Ismail, who spoke passionately on the needs of the disabled.

Among the key points raised are:

> The disabled need jobs: Rodziah said it was time that all sectors go all out to employ the handicapped. To do this, there must be a commitment from all parties. Rodziah pointed out that local councils like the MBPJ had started filling up its 1% quota for employing the disabled.
On her part, Shahrizat said that disabled persons should be seen as people with abilities and talents who can contribute to society.

> Time for local councils to get serious: Shahrizat questioned the lackadaisical attitude of the local councils for not implementing disabled-friendly access at their level, even though by-laws have been gazetted since the early 1990s.

Although it won’t be an easy task, the minister promised to check on local councils and make sure that they create disabled-friendly towns and cities so that the handicapped can go to work and study in schools, among other things.

Rodziah said that for a start, she would get local councils in Selangor to set up a special team to ensure that accessibility of the disabled tops the agenda of local authorities.

> Disability is everyone’s concern: Shahrizat reminded decision-makers on the importance of including disabled people in their committees, especially in matters involving them.

Rodziah reminded the able-bodied that it was prudent to plan for the disabled and elderly as many of us might suffer some disability one day through accident, disease or old age.

One of the highlights at both events was the presenting of special awards to those with learning disabilities.
The MBPJ event, with help from the Dyslexia Association of Malaysia, honoured children in Petaling Jaya who successfully completed their Year Six exams. They also gave special recognition to young adults with learning difficulties who held down jobs as laundry workers.

As wonderful as both celebrations were, there is still room for improvement for future events.
Here is some of the feedback I received:

> Let’s have some disabled speakers instead of only the able-bodied giving speeches as the day is for the disabled.

> Please cut down on presentations by able-bodied performers no matter how popular they may be, and give undiscovered disabled artistes a chance to showcase their talents. (And please pay them for their services instead of expecting them to do it for free.)

> Kindly provide front seats to the disabled and let the VIPs sit behind the disabled instead for IDPD. Can we also do away with VIP-eating areas and allow the VIPs to mingle with the disabled?

Do More For The Disabled

Thursday December 3, 2009

Do more

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Much more can be done to raise the quality of life of the disabled.
TODAY is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), a day set aside by the United Nations since the early 1990s for world communities to stop, think and act in the interest of people with disabilities (PwD).
Malaysia is no exception.
In fact, this morning, Selangor Welfare chairman Rodziah Ismail is launching a unique awards ceremony for PwDs at The Curve’s pedestrian shopping mall.
At this Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) event, the personal achievements of children and young people with intellectual handicaps will be acknowledged. These include passing their Year Six exams, holding down a job, doing the laundry, or serving drinks.
Disabled residents like the blind and those in wheelchairs in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, are in for a treat on Saturday.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil will be paying them a special visit. “Going down to where the PwDs are is a much better way to touch base and find out what their problems are,” said Shahrizat.
However, there is more that the Government and local bodies – including the public – can do to raise the quality of life of Malaysians with disabilities.
The most important is to discard all preconceived notions about PwDs.
I am surprised that some people still have outdated views of the handicapped.
PwDs are labelled as “sick” and are expected to be seen only in hospitals and clinics rather than in cinemas or pubs.
I was recently in a hotel in Petaling Jaya with a group of physically disabled patrons. One of them who was using crutches needed a wheelchair.
We were shocked when the hotel staff turned down his request for a wheelchair. The excuse given was that their wheelchair was reserved for “accident cases” only.
When a dozen of us in wheelchairs demanded to see the top brass of the hotel, a wheelchair finally arrived.
Local councils in every state need to set up a special technical committee on disability as soon as possible. It should meet at least once a month like what happens now in MBPJ.
It is also vital to include persons with disabilities on the committee. Medical experts should also be invited to sit on the committee where possible.
Together as a team, town and city planners and engineers will be better equipped to address fundamental issues such as accessibility of pavements, and public and government buildings.

Facilities in homes and centres for the elderly and disabled should also be looked into to ensure that residents are receiving the best possible care.