People With Different Abilities

Person with disabilities or person with different abilities? This is the question asked when it comes to the Malay Language acronym of OKU or either Orang Kurang Upaya Orang Kelainan Upaya. For commoners, Orang Kurang Upaya is more familiar with and used more often in relation to people with physical disabilities such as blindness, deaf, down syndrome etc. However, in order not to upset people with disabilities and also not creating bias and discrimination, nowadays, it is commonly accepted that Orang Kelainan Upaya be applied. It is always an argument that OKU cannot perform their rights as provided for under the Human Right Charter and Constitution simply because the physical environment fails them from doing so. For example, they would like to visit the park but the level of connectivity and accessibility is not conducive for that to happen. They would like to have an independent living but cannot do that as going out from the house to attend to work place is always a challenge. Although the physically disabled person is not a major group, the inclusion of older people and minor or even those temporary immobile, then the number can be huge and hence providing such facilities friendly to the OKU is not something "luxury" as claimed by some people.

I presume in this respect universal design is more appropriate. All facilities, built environment and even the natural environment should be design for the use of all, be it able or disable people. If we have done it at the stage of planning instead of management stage, then the overall construction cost can be very marginal and manageable. Hence, providing facilities complying with the requirement for universal design at the planning and construction stage will be a determining factor for greater acceptance by general public and the project proponents. It will help to expedite the process of creating an universal design environment.

Having said this, greater enforcement and efficient in maintenance is equally important to ensure that universal design is there to stay and use. Very often we see the facilities lacked of maintenance is in dilapidated stage and of no use to the OKU.

The concept and need for doing so can only be done with greater understanding and knowledge of those designers and people in power. No point of advocating doing universal design without knowing the head and tail or inside out. Hence, the move by MBPJ and MIP in organising the Conference on OKU last Thursday is commendable. It is a good forum for those in city planning and management to get to know the update of universal design first, and then thinking what to do next. For creating an inclusive society, we must incorporate the OKU into our Society at large, and we have no choice if sustainable is what it meant. For PJ, it is timely to move forward with the celebration of 5th Anniversary as the City.