Disabled-friendly Upper Penang Road Comment

Today's post is referring to Peter Tan's latest post on Disabled-friendly Upper Penang Road.

I know how unfriendly some of the street environment in George Town, Penang. I was happy to read what Peter Tan posted, and that he was venturing forth with Tan Kuan Aw on one of these 'auditing and reviewing' mission that many disabled people tend to be consulted with. I wish very much that many more people are like Tan Kuan Aw, and hope that Peter Tan would be interested to educate himself and others on how to specify to the architects and local authorities on exactly what should be done. This posting has made me realised the importance of myself in assisting with this knowledge, and I should be back there in Malaysia to help out. But I also need to do what Kuan Aw suggested that is to write articles on Accessibility, which I had made some trial runs here in my blog.

Here is my comment on Peter Tan's post:

This is an interesting development.

I think it is high time disabled people should start educating themselves on what are good and bad accessible designs. See SDPP website for accessibility guidance.
http://www.disabledpersonspenang.org/access.htm

And we not only say what we think is wrong but actually could recommend to MPPP or other council officers or architects what is the best design to be used.

We need to have an accessibility checklist / access survey / access audit based on these guidance which are already available at SDPP website, when consulted by service providers and authorities.

With more and more disabled people educating and promoting Non-Handicapping Environment or Barrier-Free Environment, by specifying exactly what they need and be satisfied with, others will also be educated. That is the first step.

The second step is to highlight via media and promote to the public why there should not be abuse to these facilities. Then the enforcement of the authorities should be made, as disabled people should be able to take to court authorities that do not enforce what they can do under their jurisdiction, which is fining people who abuse the facilities. Refer The Streets, Drainage and Building Act, Uniform Building By-Law 34A.

But first, disabled people would need to take the first step!