Heaton Park - A Study on the External Access Features [Part1]

I went to visit Heaton Park early spring. People were excited as the weather was getting warmer, birds were chirping every where, and the first green sprouts were making their way.

Heaton Park is located near my house, but it is part of Manchester City Council rather than Salford. It is a municipal park, in fact, one of the largest in the city.

It took awhile for me to eventually find out at which of the many entrances, I can get closest to the main buildings in the park. I also had the help of a website. I parked at where everyone else did, but it was still some walk away from the main buildings and Heaton Hall, which is a listed historic building and gallery.

This is a study on the accessibility features of Heaton Park leading to Heaton Hall. It concentrates on the northern side of the park, where most people would congregate.



For the first time disabled visitor, there is no information on where the nearest carpark is to Heaton Hall. People would need to call in first to find that out. I parked nearest to Heaton Hall but it is a 500 metres walk away. The accessible carpark is not easily identifiable. And car drivers may have been confused when parking in the larger car plot, aligning the vehicle oddly, as shown in the picture.




On further scrutiny, the embossed logo is embedded on the road to denote that it is an accessible carpark. It is about 150-200 mm in diameter and is hardly obvious from afar. I believe that the service provider do not want to spoil the view of the park by putting up signboards for the accessible carpark.







From the carpark, we find access via gravelled walkways that may prove to be difficult for some wheelchair user to manouvre on their own. However, the position of the walkway is optimum for most people.









Further along the walkway, you will see a tower in a distance and other walkways to choose to explore the park.











Looking at the other side of the walkway, near the carpark, you will find a 'Welcome to Heaton Park' notice board. Many people come to this area of the park to use the play area facilities. I noticed that it tends to be overcrowded with parents and children, and there is an access to the main buildings from the play area.









I found out later when I made an inquiry at Heaton Hall, that I could have entered this main gate if I had known the security code. It would lead to a vehicular access road that leads up to Heaton Hall.









From the main gate, one could access on this road with a car if one have mobility problems.











During peak season, the service providers provide a land-train that could pick up people enroute throughout the whole of the park. This is a stop for the land-train.

You've got to find what you love

Someone posted an email message about Steve Job's Commencement Address at a university in the US. I usually don't read forwarded messages, but this is about Steve Jobs, whom I kind of admired as you know, I am an Apple iBook user.

I have been a user since the early 90s, and have had an old notebook laptop before this iBook.

Anyway, it is an interesting read what Steve Jobs said in the address. It is some sort of a reminder to me. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Train journeys

[View outside as we left London Euston. The red and blue train is an underground train.]

I like traveling by train.

When I was a kid, my parents would travel by train and I recalled sleeping on the top bunk in second class and peering out the tiny window all so excited. I would imagine being in my own world...

The top bunk is just nice for someone less than 5 feet tall, so I actually continued to sleep up there even in my 30s when I commute from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur and vice versa. This was during my UTM lecturing days. Of course, now I have problems climbing up there, but I do sleep at the lower bunk, as it's easier to 'dress up' in them and put my calipers besides me, as the lower bunks are slightly bigger in size. It's all very cramp with your bags and shoes, but I like the rocking motion and the sound of the train, as they lull me to sleep. It costs about 40 Malaysian Ringgit plus, and although that is more costly than an express bus coach trip and also slower, it is more restful and better for the body to relax.


[Coach E was where I sat from London to Manchester on the Virgin Pendolino train with the plug-in piped-in music selection of 14 different channels.]

In the UK, I slept on a sleeper once, to Glasgow from London. This other office colleague and I got a 'present' from our employer and we were treated to visit a well-known architectural conference in 1988. That was nice, in the morning we had coffee and some biscuits while the train comes into Glasgow.


[Cambridge commuters going to London King's Cross on a Tuesday, train left station at 10:15 am.]


[Cambridge rural scene in the Summer]

Now I travel to London by train a lot as I have to finish off my interviews, and subsequently, wrap up my data collection stage. I often find myself able to do much work on the train, but with these new Pendolino trains that Virgin has, equipped with plug-in piped-in music channels selection, I cannot seem to concentrate that much. It is so nice listening to music while on the train. You should try it!

Just would like to share some more glimpses from the train rides that I had recently.

Euston Station

Euston Station is about 500 yards walking distance away from King's Cross Station. Rail passengers from Manchester and the North West of England, including Scotland, would be arriving at this station, whereby those coming from North East of England, like Cambridge and West Anglia and also parts of Scotland would come to King's Cross. And there is a station in between these two, which is St. Pancras, that caters for trains coming from the Midlands.

Tavistock Square where the bus no. 30 was caught in the bomb attack is about 80 yards away from Euston Station.

When I go back to Manchester, I have to use Euston Station, and last week, I had to board a no. 30 bus from King's Cross to come to Euston. Everyone in the bus strained their head to look at Tavistock Square as we passed by the road. Of course there is a huge white plastic sheet that span the whole of the road and a barrier near the junction of the road to stop people from coming in, with only news crews lining the barrier in anticipation. Not much to see.

It was one of the hottest day in July last Tuesday, and I decided to eat my lunch at the area outside the station concourse. They added some wooden benches and introduced four kiosk eateries there to cater for the need for people to eat outside.



I noted that there was no rubbish bins anywhere in sight and when the cleaner came round, he checked whatever rubbish left, including paper bags! People were clearly vigilant and even when I took some shots with my camcorder, you get people looking at you. A news camera crew was told off in the station, by one of the security guards, to not be so noticeable.

I would like to share some pics taken on July 12, six days after the bomb attacks. Clearly, people try to be calm and normal again.

Reflections : King's Cross

I have been reading the online news quite a lot in the last one week and a bit. I read the websites of BBC News, the Independent Online Newspaper and the Guardian Unlimited.

People in Europe observed the 2 minutes silence at noon on Thursday, a week after the bombing tragedies. The television showed how people observed the silence in the UK especially in London, at King's Cross, Liverpool Street Station, Tavistock Place, Trafalgar Square, in a Muslim school, and a regular primary school. Apart from the children who sat wide-eyed and looking at each other, the rest all observed the mark of respect very well. Cars, buses, vans and taxis stopped where they are as well.

I would like to share the following photos, taken in front the King's Cross Station, of people using the streets and pavements and the hoarding boards that were lined with messages and photos of the missing people.















Construction workers standing near the hoardings. It was reported that the workers helped the victims out of the tunnel that day.
















People stopped to read the messages on the hoardings.

















One of the messages being read by a passerby. The paper kept on flapping by the wind.
















King's Cross looks normal except for the many police officers and the messages and post on the hoardings.

A mother's speech

Marie's speech

"This is Anthony, Anthony Fatayi -Williams, 26 years old, he's missing and we fear that he was in the bus explosion ... on Thursday. We don't know. We do know from the witnesses that he left the Northern line in Euston. We know he made a call to his office at Amec at 9.41 from the NW1 area to say he could not make [it] by the tube but he would find alternative means to work.

Since then he has not made any contact with any single person. Now New York, now Madrid, now London. There has been widespread slaughter of innocent people. There have been streams of tears, innocent tears. There have been rivers of blood, innocent blood. Death in the morning, people going to find their livelihood, death in the noontime on the highways and streets.

They are not warriors. Which cause has been served? Certainly not the cause of God, not the cause of Allah because God Almighty only gives life and is full of mercy. Anyone who has been misled, or is being misled to believe that by killing innocent people he or she is serving God should think again because it's not true.Terrorism is not the way, terrorism is not the way. It doesn't beget peace. We can't deliver peace by terrorism, never can we deliver peace by killing people. Throughout history, those people who have changed the world have done so without violence, they have [won] people to their cause through peaceful protest. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, their discipline, their self-sacrifice, their conviction made people turn towards them, to follow them. What inspiration can senseless slaughter provide? Death and destruction of young people in their prime as well as old and helpless can never be the foundations for building society.

My son Anthony is my first son, my only son, the head of my family. In African society, we hold on to sons. He has dreams and hopes and I, his mother, must fight to protect them. This is now the fifth day, five days on, and we are waiting to know what happened to him and I, his mother, I need to know what happened to Anthony. His young sisters need to know what happened, his uncles and aunties need to know what happened to Anthony, his father needs to know what happened to Anthony. Millions of my friends back home in Nigeria need to know what happened to Anthony. His friends surrounding me here, who have put this together, need to know what has happened to Anthony. I need to know, I want to protect him. I'm his mother, I will fight till I die to protect him. To protect his values and to protect his memory.

Innocent blood will always cry to God Almighty for reparation. How much blood must be spilled? How many tears shall we cry? How many mothers' hearts must be maimed? My heart is maimed. I pray I will see my son, Anthony. Why? I need to know, Anthony needs to know, Anthony needs to know, so do many others unaccounted for innocent victims, they need to know.

It's time to stop and think. We cannot live in fear because we are surrounded by hatred. Look around us today. Anthony is a Nigerian, born in London, worked in London, he is a world citizen. Here today we have Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, all of us united in love for Anthony. Hatred begets only hatred. It is time to stop this vicious cycle of killing. We must all stand together, for our common humanity. I need to know what happened to my Anthony. He's the love of my life. My first son, my first son, 26. He tells me one day, "Mummy, I don't want to die, I don't want to die. I want to live, I want to take care of you, I will do great things for you, I will look after you, you will see what I will achieve for you. I will make you happy.' And he was making me happy. I am proud of him, I am still very proud of him but I need to now where he is, I need to know what happened to him. I grieve, I am sad, I am distraught, I am destroyed.

He didn't do anything to anybody, he loved everybody so much. If what I hear is true, even when he came out of the underground he was directing people to take buses, to be sure that they were OK. Then he called his office at the same time to tell them he was running late. He was a multi-purpose person, trying to save people, trying to call his office, trying to meet his appointments. What did he then do to deserve this. Where is he, someone tell me, where is he?"

(excerpt from the Guardian, 13 July 2005)

Braving the trains

You see, I had already purchased the train tickets and had to use my saver return by the 15th of July. I also got a fixed single ticket for a train back on the 12th,which will just be obsolete if I don't use it. So, I decided to brave the journey to London.

Not without all the delays and disruptions and I had to take the bus twice as the King Cross
underground could not be used, but managed to take the train to Cambridge as the train station is not affected. As it is at ground level.

Let me take you through my journey that was affected by what happened 7.7.05 in London. (See previous posts.)

I took the taxi from my house at Prestwich, Salford to Manchester Picadilly Railway Station. As I was walking in the station, I would notice the usual platforms devoid of the London bound trains. Sure enough to my irritation, the notice boards did not display anything on London. So I inquired the Information counter personnel, who said, " Take the bus outside for Stockport, as the train will depart from there". "Oh, okay", I knew that this is an indication of a difficult journey to come. A bloke with a huge tummy, who looks like he is a Manchester United fan, said something to me, gesturing at my Champion's League Winner red t-shirt. I smiled back, hoping he is not a hooligan about to clobber me.

As I waited for the bus, a lady chatted to me about this extra-ordinary situation of having to take a bus to get to London, and where to board one. And I reflected that on this journey I chatted to a total of 6 strangers all in all. Tragedies like what happened in London I would learn brings people together, as people need some comfort that the journey will be safe.

It was quite a wait at the Stockport station, waiting for the train to move, and the air-conditioning was a bit dodgy. Well, I thought I have the best seat with the table and facing forward, and was not particular at first about the air-conditioning.

Before Stafford, I found out that the other carriages had better air-conditioning and told the lady in front of me that she had better get to the other carriages, as I noticed she and the other lady were becoming really red on the neck and very uncomfortable. Being a Malaysian, I quipped machoily, "Go ahead. will sit here and brave the heat. I need a bit of sauna...", thinking about similar conditions back home with the 3rd Class KTM carriages!

Earlier, I had chatted with the ladies where I usually did not chat with people. I noticed people seems to care about people around them more, and a sense of 'communal grief' and solidarity has emerged from our beings. People going all out to help others. Anyway, we are all travelling to London, and we feel that there are still dangers that cannot be discounted.

At Euston, the London station where I arrived, I noticed many policemen, but not as many as at King's Cross. I could not stop at King's Cross underground so I had to get back on the escalators and travel by bus. At King's Cross, I noticed a newscaster from the US busy rehearsing fom his notes while a camera was poised nearby. I noticed so many policemen watching warily and scrutinising people toing and froing around the station.

I managed to get on the Cambridge bound train some less than 2 hours later than expected before I set my journey out from Manchester.

Steiner schools: Learning from experience

Someone who is successful academically told me that she never attended kindergarten like most of her siblings. Perhaps she had a Steineresque education, playing in the paddy fields, and catching spiders must have done her a world of good.

I like this quote from the article below:

Rudolf Steiner founded his first school back in 1919 for the children of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory workers, but he understood that rhythmic, coordinated physical exercise helps the brain, and that the development of the imagination is central to a good education. He knew children needed room to breathe, and had to come to things when they were ready for them, and he understood the importance of helping them to develop as whole people.

I repeat. That the develoment of the IMAGINATION is central to a good education. Says Steiner.

Surely this is common sense, as I find education seems to be overly prescribed and controlled, and isn't that something wrong?

It doesn't have to be kindergarten, but any level of education. When I reflect back, I don't remember what I learned in the class rooms, but what I learned outside. I remembered the smell of the forest when I went camping in sixth grade, for example.

But then, that could just be heightened sensation. Or then again, it could be imagination of the senses. Which leads to ideas. And isn't that what education is about? Releasing ideas from the senses.





Steiner schools: Learning from experience

Steiner school pupils get a stress-free education - they're not even taught to read until they're seven. Now, the Government is set to turn one into an Academy. Hilary Wilce reports

Published: 07 July 2005 (The Independent)

A field in Herefordshire could become the birthplace of one of the most radical departures our school system has seen. Right now, it is just buttercups and cow parsley, but if current plans stay on track, this field will soon be home to the first state-funded Steiner school in Britain.

Last week, we reported that the Government was making common cause with the privately funded Montessori schools movement to rescue a struggling state primary school in Manchester. Today, we can reveal that it is getting into bed with the private Steiner movement. That means the Government that gave us curriculum tests and league tables will be supporting a school where tests and exams are almost non-existent, and where play and dance are seen as every bit as important as formal classroom learning.

And if - as Steiner supporters hope - this coming together of the two systems allows some of these ideas to filter into mainstream schools, the children of our noisy, socially fractured world could benefit immeasurably. "The Steiner curriculum is a therapeutic curriculum," stresses Sylvie Sklan, development director of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship. "It is perfect for disadvantaged children. It should be available in the inner cities."

"There is definitely scope for two-way learning," says Philip Woods, professor of education at the University of the West of England, who has just completed a major study on Steiner schooling, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills. "And learning across boundaries is a significant theme of Government policy."

There are 31 Steiner schools in the UK and Ireland, but they have never had any public money, unlike their counterparts in other European countries. In fact, they exist on the margins of educational consciousness - something, people tend to think, to do with tree-hugging.

In fact, the framework of Steiner schools is closely prescribed, and built on the view that a child's creative, spiritual and moral dimensions need as much attention as their intellectual ones. "When people used to say to my mother: 'Aren't those the schools where children do what they like?'," says teacher Alison Gilbert, "she used to say: 'No, they're the schools where children like what they do.'"

Even so, it is ground-breaking that the Government has decided to expand its drive towards school diversity - mainly used to encompass Moslem and church schools - to embrace such a different educational philosophy, and it's no surprise to find it has not been easy.

The idea has been kicking around for six years. Estelle Morris, when she was Education Secretary, and Andrew Adonis, now an education minister, have pushed for it to happen, but attempts to set up a voluntary-aided school in London foundered, and three years ago it was decided to go down a different route.

Now, plans are being worked out to make the Hereford Waldorf School in Much Dewchurch, currently housed in a converted barn, a new, all-in Academy taking about 300 pupils aged five to 16. But there are tricky issues to negotiate. Steiner teachers want to protect their ideas; the Government needs its schools to be accountable.

So far it has been agreed that the Steiner curriculum will not be compromised, provided that pupils are taught English, maths and science - no problem, since the Herefordshire pupils already take public exams in these subjects. The Government has accepted that Key Stage 1 tests are irrelevant to the Steiner curriculum, and that any Key Stage 2 testing would have to be flexible, and the results not for publication. There will be no selection on ability, admissions will be based on parents' commitment to the philosophy, and the role of a head, as a financial manager, will have to be worked out, as Steiner schools are run as teacher democracies.

At the school, Steiner-qualified teachers will be expected to work towards graduate status if they do not have a degree, but - to the annoyance of the teachers unions - qualified teacher status is seen as a national curriculum-based qualification and inappropriate. Computers will not be used in the lower school, as the Steiner philosophy is that screen images hinder the development of thought and imagination, and the school will be free to decide how to use them in its upper school, provided that pupils become competent at ICT.

The school will be sponsored by the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, and sponsorship money - 10 per cent of capital costs - will come from a European software house and a private donor.

And it looks as if local parents could be clamouring to get their children into the place. Following the news that there could, potentially, be government funding for the school, this year's open day attracted many more visitors than usual, and it is likely that they would have been impressed by the pupils' calm and confidence, and their powers of concentration.

This, teachers make clear, is because they are brought up from the beginning in Steiner ways. In the kindergarten they play with simple, unfinished wooden toys rather than bright plastic ones, to allow their imaginations to develop. "People say, 'don't they get bored?'" says teacher Karen Fielding. "And we say, 'No, because every day it's something different.'"

When pupils move up a class, they stay with the same teacher, right to the end of their schooling. This means personal differences have to be worked through. It can be hard, acknowledges teacher David Donaldson, but you get to work at relationships at a very deep level.

The school day begins with an important settling-in session, where children work off physical energies and draw together in common purpose. Younger children sing and play games with bean bags; older ones might do something outside, then play the recorder and recite "the verse" together - a religious-sounding affirmation of the spirit of life.

This is followed by a two-hour "main lesson", where students follow one subject for three weeks, exploring it in depth and from all angles before moving on to something else. The afternoons are given over to arts and crafts activities.

The lessons are based on whole-class learning, with the teacher first speaking about something, before the class moves on to talking about it, writing about it, and illustrating what they have written.

There is an old-fashioned, courtly quality to these classes, with children sitting at wooden desks, and a high standard of work - although it helps that class numbers are small. A class of 14-year-olds is studying The Tempest, and discussing the nature of Caliban. He is, they volunteer, "a deformed human being" or "half-devil, half-witch", and argue about whether they should feel sorry for him.

Upstairs, teacher Karin Hines is teaching history of art to the top class of 15-year-olds, who have just finished a three-week module on physics. These students do GCSEs in English literature, language and in maths, and Open College Network qualifications in crafts and sciences, but are not rattled by exams. "The local sixth form college loves to have them," she says. "They say they're mature, interested, articulate and ask lots of questions.

"You work twice as hard for half the pay here. But where else could I teach history of art in the morning and do blacksmithing in the afternoon, with a bit of chemistry thrown in as well?"

Ruth Hardy, 15, and Leila Terrett, 16, are adamant that they would send their own children to Steiner schools. They love the family atmosphere and the way that Steiner children are so creative. Most of them cook, they say, and many make their own clothes, and tend to be practical.

There are things that are weird to outside eyes. The curriculum goes for depth, not breadth, and the laboratory and art room facilities are pitiful. There are few books and no computers. Children learn to write using huge pencils, and to paint using huge brushes. The art is stunning, but closely controlled, with children instructed how to proceed through the colour spectrum. There is basket-weaving, and also a ritualised dance form called eurythmy.

Rudolf Steiner founded his first school back in 1919 for the children of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory workers, but he understood that rhythmic, coordinated physical exercise helps the brain, and that the development of the imagination is central to a good education. He knew children needed room to breathe, and had to come to things when they were ready for them, and he understood the importance of helping them to develop as whole people. He also pre-empted Jamie Oliver by almost a century, pointing out the need to feed children good, wholesome food.

There are 900 Steiner schools worldwide. They work successfully in South African townships and Eastern European refugee camps, as well as in wealthy parts of America and our own Surrey commuter belt. Gilbert says: "It all comes out of how you work with your children - how you work with them in your mind while you're preparing lessons, how you hold them in your heart. It's based on the notion that the child is a spiritual being, and that you are caring for something precious."

There is a shortage of Steiner school teachers in the UK. If you would like to know more about the different pathways to becoming one, please phone the Hereford Waldorf school on 01981 540221, or view training options at www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk/training.htm

What is Steiner education about?

1. Co-educational, comprehensive schools, run co-operatively by teachers, which follow an internationally recognised curriculum, without early specialisation

2. A balance of artistic, practical and intellectual teaching, plus an emphasis on social skills and spiritual values

3. Children have the same class teacher from seven to 14. They do two foreign languages from the age of six. Mental arithmetic happens daily. Calculators and computers are banned until children are older. Whole-class teaching is the norm.

4. Formative assessment rather than testing. GCSEs and A-levels can be taken alongside the full curriculum, usually a year later.

3 hours to get back home

I chatted with Theeba just now. Her work place is near the Barbican, in Central London. She left work at 1 pm, as she did not feel good.

The bomb blasts occurred between 8:50 am and 9:30 am, and it brought the public transportation system to a standstill.

Theeba had to walk and got a taxi that would only go as far as Sloane Square, as the taxi driver feared that he would not be able to get back to Central London if he took her all the way to Kew Gardens.

She walked from Sloane Square to near Tate Britain and Pimlico, and got on another taxi that would only take her to Hammersmith. When she reached Hammersmith, she took a bus back to her flat at Kew Gardens.

All in all it took 3 hours.

Tomorrow, she has taken the day off, and might take a day off on Monday as well, and had made an arrangement with her boss to do her work from home and email the drawings to the office.

Such was the arrangement that one has to do after such an upheaval brought to a city like London.

The Nightmare Arrived

Marcus, my supervisor returned from London yesterday. And I was preparing to leave for London this morning. I had four interviews lined up from the 7th to the 12th of July. Then the nightmare arrived...

Four bomb explosions were reported to have occurred in Central London from just after 9 am this morning.

At first, I heard that it was just a power surge problem at one underground station, and then, Theeba called from London. She suggested that it was more than the problem of a power surge. I thought that I could still travel by bus if only one station was effected.

And the worst started to emerge as I switched on the television. It was a calculated terrorist attack, where the London Tube boss said that bombs were detonated at 3 minutes intervals, at three train coaches. And a suspected suicide bomber (to be confirmed) was on a No. 30 bus at Woburn Place and Tavistock Square near the British Medical Association where the bomb was set off. I saw blood stains on the walls of the BMA building on television. The University of London and UCL is nearby. I use to study about 5 minutes walk away.

I have often been conscious to be in the middle of such attacks, because I often travel to London. King's Cross Picadilly Line was affected, on one of the trains, between that station and Russell Square Station. So it's really scary because that is one route that I take to go Hyde Park the other day , and it's one line that I often use.

First, I have to say, I am relieved that I am alive. At one point, I wanted to travel yesterday to London, and could have been caught in all this today. It would be crazy if I had no where to go as public transport has been suspended.

Of course, it turned out that I had to submit my first chapter yesterday...

After two years and a few months since the Allied forces had invaded Iraq, and almost four years since 9/11, the biggest terrorist attack had struck London, right after London won the Olympic bid yesterday.

First chapter hand-in

No sleepness nights. No panic, except handed-in a day late. So, I managed to hand it in today, and am very relieved, that I kept close to within a day of the deadline. I hope that in the future I will keep to the exact deadline.

I think if I had achieved 50% of what the Chapter is to be, I am happy. It is not easy to do the First Chapter, because you have to get it right the first time, as you are speculating on what is going to happen in all the other chapters. What will prove your success in the First Chapter, is the amount of work that you will have to put in when you revise it later. If you have to start again from scratch, that would be very bad indeed. That's 0%. But if I have to add new things, that's okay. If the strategy is okay, that will be very good.

So now it's the Second Chapter, which is philosophical in nature, but I like that. I enjoy such discussions, but there is still a hell of a lot of stuff to read.

Here we go again!

Accessibility (2)

I realised that no matter what the laws say or are in place, we have got to pursue the Awareness Training and find ways to highlight and campaign for the Rights of Disabled People, as people would be the prime mover in enforcing the laws.

The previous post was on USM's attitude on disabled access and the confident intake of disabled students. Of course, we would like to know more, such as how the disabled students will cope with the facilities at USM and whether they managed to complete their studies. I would like to know how many disabled students had USM taken in and how many percent graduated? If its 100% percent that would say a lot about USM, but even 80% would be a realistic picture as other factors should be considered apart from Accessibility.

I have heard of a story about a disabled student studying in the Faculty of Medicine at UM, and eventually she could not cope due to many barriers, and assumed that she had problems physically accessing classrooms and so on. Then UM, transferred her to the Faculty of Science, presumably taking another course and she failed again, and eventually decided to do something on IT at a private college, and managed to succeed. I wonder if her earlier failures were mostly based on frustration of poor facilities and services, as she had proven she can succeed eventually. But it would be good to find out what happened to her and other university's disabled students, including USM and UM.

University service providers would need to have both facilities and services to be accessible. This means that even though the place may have a few manageable physical barriers, the attitude of the staff and administrators would be crucial in helping out disabled students to succeed. That part would fall under services or/and management.

USM on Disabled Students

This newspaper article caught my attention. How Universiti Sains Malaysia is confident of receiving disabled students into their campus. And they have a much more difficult infrastructure than many other campuses due to the hilly terrain.

I was involved with a Disability Awareness Training programme at USM in January 2002, and I thought that programme was one of the more successful ones, as I noticed the Vice Chancellor was taking a real interest on what was happening.

Even the number of participant and their enthusiasm was greater than the ones I had seen in other training programmes, and the number of high ranking officers involved were relatively more. They were genuinely concerned.

So here is the evidence, in the newspaper report. And to hear the same VC voicing out his confidence. I feel good about this.

I would contribute the success to the leadership of the VC. >>>

Stroke patient is a picture of determination

BY PRISCILLA DIELENBERG

PENANG: Neither age nor disability is a barrier to pursuing higher education as proven in the case of wheelchair-bound stroke patient Mohamed Mohd Ali who is among Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) latest intake.

Mohamed, 51, who is pursuing a degree in Social Sciences, had been paralysed on the left side of his body for the past seven years after he suffered a stroke at his home in Klang.

Asked if campus life would be too challenging for him, the gutsy father of four replied: “There are challenges everywhere, even at home. I am confident of coping well given my inner strength and determination.”

Mohamed and his wife Siti Surina Mokmi, 48 at the familiarisation course at the USM campus Saturday.

Mohamed said he taught technical studies at the Construction Industry Development Board's Malaysian Construction Academy until 1998 when the stroke affected his speech.

He spent the past seven years keeping up with current news and latest developments in the construction field, and writing.

“I wanted to apply for the first intake of USM's Lifelong Education Programme for senior citizens last November but could not as my eldest daughter, Nor Syaadila, was taking her SPM examination then.

“I enrolled in this programme while Nor Syaadila will be joining Universiti Selangor this month,” he told reporters at the USM campus in Glugor here yesterday.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said the university had a total intake of 5,602 students in its three campuses this year.

“We have 38 senior citizens, which is more than double the first intake of 17 people last year,” he said, adding that there were 120 disabled people.

He said 20 men and 20 women with special needs would be housed at hostels specially fitted with features such as special toilets, railings and ramps.

Among them is Lee Ling Tze, 20, who at 124cm tall, is slightly shorter than her nine-year-old sister Ling Yi.

The diminutive lass from Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, who is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Biology, and her parents ASP Lee Ewe Kiong, 48, and Lim Kui Suang, 47, were pleased with the facilities at the hostel.

“This is the first time our eldest daughter will be living on her own but we are confident that she would be able to adjust to life away from home,” said ASP Lee.

Means of Escape from High Rise Buildings

(Image uploaded from: http://www.caingram.info/Malaysia/Pix/Kl_railway.jpg)

I had just commented on Peter Tan's blog:

Thanks for highlighting the issue of 'Means of Escape' in the case of 'Emergency in a High-rise Building' situation.

I think it is high time to have a conference on this subject in our country. But the conference should be open to public, and host by an organiser that could pull in participation from:

Jabatan Bomba
Public Works Ministry
Ministry of Housing and Local Government
SIRIM
Prime Minister's Department
Pertubuhan Architect Malaysia
Institute of Engineers
Institute of Surveyors
Quantity Surveyors Institute

As well as NGOs and others, such as research institutions and universities.

The conference should be affordable to all, with discounts to students and disabled people for example.

Most of all, the conference should include a pledge at the end of it to create a Memorandum to set forth in laying out the principles and action for 'Means of Escape in High Rise Buildings in Emergency Situations'. Also what is needed are committees or better still a consultant to be writing proposals and action it under a 'Commission' would be in the right direction.

The following subject area must be tackle in the conference:

Means of Escape for Disabled People / Systematic Evacuation Plan for Disabled People

Structural Performance of High Rise Building in Earthquakes

The conference should not be too technically oriented, or that it should be divided into two sessions, where technical round-tables should also be discussed later in the day.

The way the building industry is going, building upwards higher and higher, isn't it time to do something like this? I hope that this comment will give some ideas.

Civic Consciousness and the Great Dirty Toilet Debate

After spending some time reading and commenting on Peter Tan's blog, I am thinking about the issue of 'Dirty Toilets and Dirty Malaysians' and also, 'The Abuse of Disabled Toilets'. It is not the nicest topic in the world, but when we start to think about it and the comments that have been put forward by people who read Peter Tan's blog, I am starting to form some understanding about this issue and the underlying problem.

People inevitably would comment in the lines of 'lack of civic consciousness', 'developing or developed nation but third world mentality', and 'poor upbringing and lack of awareness and education', referring to the abuse of public facilities.

When we analyse this bad attitude in detail, we find that, when one person starts to 'lead' the abuse, like abusing accessible toilets for disabled people, or not cleaning properly a toilet after he or she had used it, and then the next person who uses the toilet, would also follow suit with the bad attitude. (ie Follow the Leader style)...

So what I am saying is tha,t if this happens all over the country, where people take the lead in introducing the bad attitude, then there are many 'bad leaders'. We don't even have to go and do a research, but find out often enough, as we often go out ourselves, that this bad attitude habitually, repeats itself in many places and very often. So what's the deal?

Do we blame it on the lack of design of the toilet, or lack the number of toilet facilities or lack of good management in cleaning toilet facilities or what? The blame could be pointed to the tidak apa (laissez faire) attitude, selfish and me-first stance and also, for some people the blame could be directed to the government on top of that.

Generally, I would argue, in hotels, I do not find the toilets to be as dirty as in the shopping complex. So, could it be that, we tend to behave at places where we will be seen easily after we had done the 'job' (for example the hotel reception staff will notice who came out of the toilets) as oppose to when a person comes out of the toilets in a shopping complex. There are instances where some people do not really care if the toilets that they had just used are clean for the next person to use.

I find that it is odd that some people do not have respect for other people, when they do that sort of thing. Why is that? Does someone owe these disrespectful people something? Maybe, the government owe these disrespectful people something... go on, blame it on the government again!

Of course, we can discuss further in great detail, but I do not want to put off your meal. It is not the best topic in the world. But then I am starting to think, surely everyone was brought up by their parents to respect people and property. What happens as they grew older, though?

I am beginning to worry that Malaysians are getting to be a vengeful lot, deliberately disrespecting people and property, as they go on with their busy lives, with not enough time to make worthwhile activities and just want to get the best for themselves. And not caring what other people think of them, and displaying bad manners and attitude, as abusing toilets, and other things, like fighting for carparks, driving and overtaking wantonly.

You see, these things happen in the UK as well, but only in the minority, whereby in Malaysia, it is the majority. Is education and awareness training missing?

We are too busy chasing some desire, some dream, and we do not care what happens around us. We do not love and care what we have, in terms of civic pride.

Yes, the debate goes on and on...

Creating a culture of complaint

Complaint is defined as an "...act or statement to express dissatisfaction at something..."
I became adapt at being a 'serial complainer', if there is such a thing, after joining in the Disability Movement in 1998.

Well, I did not know that I was joining the Disability Movement then, but there is one going on. A conscious effort in trying to improve things for the disabled people, in the world, and my country.

So, I picked up some 'learning' and some 'skills' when I was trained a few times with the UNESCAP since 1998, and even used what I learned to improve my teaching programmes in UM.

Whenever I went to shopping complexes or any buildings in Malaysia, I start 'auditing' the place in my mind and if I come across a problem, ie the lack of disabled toilets, disabled toilets cannot work, or has been used as a storage area, or the lack of parking for the disabled person, I would either go to the reception counter and tell them (which is the least effective), or write a note of complaint and give to the reception (works some time), or write an extensive letter to the Managing Director or Property Manager (usually works, cause I sound like as if I am going to write to STAR or NST or even worse, Malay Mail, if they did not do something, ESPECIALLY when I take a photo of the problem and show to them). That usually nails it!

At the beginning, it was usually a bad feeling of anger and disgust accompanying my complaints, but after being used to doing it, it is just a job. Because we have to do it. We have to press for change and don't give up.

Well, I would like to share my latest entry to Peter Tan's blog, below.

>>>

Peter,

I make it a point (almost every time)to complain to the service provider whenever there is none or lack of services given to the disabled person. Generally, they would comply because they are running a business and bad press is not good for them.

In our complaint, it would be good to give specific suggestions to them, which could include sizes and specifications.

I think if many disabled persons and able-bodied people would show concern for the abuse of using accessible toilets by complaining to the owners of shopping complex EVERY TIME there is cause to complain, they would instruct their staff to be strict with who could use the accessible toilets. And in some places, will start using the 'key system'.

Parents with babies can also start complaining about lack of facilities to have nappy change. So we could expect facilties to be upgraded.

People in general should start complaining about dirty toilets and give suggestions on how to improve.

At first, when we start to complain we would get upset and angry, but after awhile, we keep doing it consciously and we won't feel so bad, and in the long run, we help to contribute to a better environment. It will take time.

(Thanks for sharing your experiences via the blog.)

"Blatant Abuse of Disabled Toilets..."

I could not help it.
I had to add my comments in Peter Tan's blog and be as pedantic as possible...
Here are my comments:

There are facilities that are enjoyed by all people, such as lifts, accessible ramps, low counters, automatic sliding doors, audio announcements in lifts, and others.

There are facilities that should only be used by disabled people, such as accessible toilets* and accessible carpark.

If non-disabled people use them, it is an act of abuse, because the act is 'improper and insulting to disabled people'.

The accessible toilets and accessible carpark was designed with the correct sizes and provisions in order for disabled person to participate and function in civic life, in a meaningful and dignified way. There is an extra 1.2 meters banding at the side of the carpark lot so that a wheelchair can be manouvered. There is a 1.5 meters radius minimum in a disabled toilet, for the same reason, for example.

A wheelchair user IS NOT ABLE TO USE a toilet without the correct size. The accessible toilet was DESIGNED FOR the disabled user.

Remember that, a person with kidney problems will have his/her condition worsened if he/she delay in using the toilet. A person with chronic arthritis have to endure prolonged pain when he/she does not get to sit immediately.

It is a basic right to have these facilities, not a luxury.

Don't correct the disabled person, correct the disabling environment and attitude!

* (Some accessible toilets could be equipped with nappy changing facilities, if there is lack of space.)

Disability Issues (1)

I posted a comment on Peter Tan's blog. It is shown below.
I was quite pissed off when in another of Tan's post, someone commented in a demeaning manner saying that, she had the right to use the accessible toilet if she is in an emergency like (believe it or not) bleeding in her undies. Well, my argument is in my comment.
The point of the matter is, okay, please 'shut-up' and just keep quiet about it if you had use the accessible toilet, but don't go about demeaning people, and putting them down. (By equating menstruation problems with chronic arthritis or serious kidney problem.)
It is 'no joke'.
She did not directly put down disabled people, but you can see from the comments how demeaning it is and also other patronising comments there besides hers. (Comments were under the post - Blatant Abuse of Disabled Toilets).

Here was my comment:

If I may add, in the UK, they have to lock up toilets for disabled people as well, especially in high human traffic volume area, like railway stations and shopping complexes. So, they have to find the janitor and get the keys off them.

We need to remind ourselves that the facilities for disabled people are not luxuries, but basic needs. Be it lifts, accessible ramps, refuge areas at fire staircase lobbies, accessible carpark, audio announcements, loop induction aid for hearing, and all sorts of services are designed with the correct sizes and features, so that disabled people can manage like everyone else in an environment that was created to make it difficult for disabled people to conduct their lives meaningfully and with dignity.

I know of wheelchair users who could easily get kidney infections if they delay in using the toilets, or elderly people whose arthritis will act up so badly and painfully if they could not get a seat on the bus immediately.

Everyone should fight for the rights of the disabled people to access all services and goods in this country equally like everyone else.

Remember, it is not the person, but the environment that is disabling, be it physical or social.

"...Over the past 20 years, a competing view known as the social model of disability has come to the fore. In this model, disability is seen more as a social construction than a medical reality. An individual may be impaired by a condition that requires daily living adaptations, but the bulk of his problem - his disability - can be found in the attitudinal and physical barriers erected by society..." http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Disability

Preparing for my Trip again...

The past few days, besides getting ill, I had been writing to prospective interviewees to make my trip to London on the 7-12th July 2005 worthwhile. So far I had confirmed a meeting with Tony Crosby at the Heritage Lottery Fund for the 11th July, and will meet Valerie Wenham at Morden Hall Park on the 10th July. Ms Wenham had worked for the National Trust for 20 years as an Access Advisor and now she is with the Historic Houses Association.

I shall discuss about the trip to Morden Hall Park after meeting Ms Valerie and her husband.

As I know more about the development of heritage properties in England and Wales, I noted that the Heritage Lottery Fund, by making disabled access a major requirement on applicants getting funding to their project, it has set an important precedent of how to incorporate access features and benefiting from it.

"... The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was set up by Parliament in 1994 to give grants to a wide range of projects involving the local, regional and national heritage of the United Kingdom. We distribute a share of the money raised by the National Lottery for Good Causes..." (from the website)

I wish that we have a similar funding body in Malaysia. I know that MAGNUM, SPORTS TOTO and a few other gambling companies do give money to charity, but this is totally different approach. When I was in the UK in the mid and late 80s, there was no such thing as the National Lottery. But the government intentionally created it to get the funds to regenerate art and culture (among other things) in their country.

We could not imagine a similar thing to happen in Malaysia, as gambling is not permitted for Muslims. In the 70s, I remember that we had a similar situation with what the UK is doing now. Every week, they show on television, numbers on balls being taken out from a cage and the winning numbers being announced. People would buy these lottery tickets from supermarkets and corner shops. I remember my mother dabbling in that for awhile before she got interested in the stocks exchange when we were in Penang.

Now, people are more conscious of being a better Muslim and although people do dabble in it, it is not prominent.

I think providing funding for art and culture projects via a lottery is not totally gambling. I think there is a way round this, as I see the effort in the UK really paving the way to a real love of heritage properties and when HLF manages to insist on access for the disabled people, it proves to be a catalyst for much success.

Accessibility (1)

Do you know the meaning of Accessibility?

In Malaysia, we know how difficult it is to get access to do the shopping, go to the bank, go to the cinema, the dentist, doctor's clinic etcetera. Assuming we can drive a car. When we arrive at the destination, we cannot find a carpark close enough, and then when we did find one, we cannot get out. And we have to walk around the block to find the place. And then we cannot climb the steps, and open the door. And that's just for the physically disabled.

Anyway, I read this article in News Straits Times online and would like to share it with you. It was dated June 20, 2005.

>>>

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain today acknowledged that facilities for the disabled in many State Government buildings here are severely lacking.

He recently directed the State Public Works Department to equip those premises with ramps and disabled-friendly toilets.

"No, I am not doing this because I am now slightly handicapped," he jested, referring to the mild paralysis of his left hand and leg.

"I am doing this because there are many disabled people in Kedah who have been forced to stay at home although they have healthy minds.

"The department must identify the buildings and take the necessary action fast."

Syed Razak was speaking to reporters after receiving the State’s highest award, the Darjah Utama Seri Mahawangsa Yang Amat DiHormati (DMK), from the Sultan of Kedah on his 77th birthday, at Istana Anak Bukit.

The newly-introduced award carries the title "Datuk Seri Utama".

Relating a case, Syed Razak said a physically handicapped relative of his was forced to stay indoors until he died of old age because his parents were ashamed of him and public facilities for the disabled were non-existent then.

He said most recently-built government buildings, including the seat of the State Government at Wisma Darul Aman, had disabled-friendly facilities.

Citing an example of the opposite, he noted that Stadium Darul Aman, where most major sporting activities in the State were held, was ill-equipped in terms of ramps, seats and special toilets for the disabled.

"All buildings, offices and recreational parks run by the State must now be equipped with facilities for the disabled," he said.

"Once this is done, Alor Star can some day organise a national-level special sports meet for the disabled."

He added that the owners of private buildings, especially banks and utility companies, should take the cue on this from the State Government.

<<<

I wonder if we have anybody in Kedah that could champion Access for Disabled People?

Sense of Place and Scale

There is a case for conservation, adaptive re-use and rehabilitation of old buildings, as oppose to trying to create new buildings that tries to capture the traits of the old.

Two examples are given here. Angel Square Office and Shad Thames. The selection is random, but I believe I could make my point just as well with these two examples.

Angel Square Offices (late 80s)

The above is the Angel Square Office, which is basically a speculative five storey office building divided into four blocks, with an inner courtyard area that people can pass through. The photo above illustrates the change of levels made by the higher street level from one end of the entrance, where at the bottom of the steps, you would notice, a curious Aldo Rossi -like folly in the corner of the courtyard that denotes the entrance to one of the blocks of offices. (We were into Neo-Rationalism and Rossi was often the favourite in the 80s).

I was involved in the design of this building as a year out student at Rock Townsend in 1987-88. I knew the intention of why we designed it as such, and much of the style of the building was imposed upon us by the Islington City Council, who insisted on breaking up the massive office block look and make it sympathise with the character of Islington High Street, that is more humane and smaller in scale.

Angel Square facing Islington High Street
Originally uploaded by Naziaty

Here is a prime example of trying to make an office block feel 'older' and humane, but of course, the commercial interest and cost-cutting objectives are of paramount importance to the developer. We tried to recreate the feel of Victorian Gothic revivalism by using bands of stone and bricks of different colours and texture, complete with recesses, corbelling, extended embellishments and the like.

We also need to consider that Angel Square Offices face a busy thoroughfare compared to the back streets of Shad Thames and the idea of a grand building was at the back of the designer's mind.


Shad Thames Redevelopment (late 90s to early 00s)

Comparing Angel Square to the redevelopment projects of Shad Thames near the Design Museum, where old buildings were rehabilitated and adapted to a new different use, often shops and offices, and completed with touches of the contemporary style. The spiral staircase (possibly new) depicted in the photo above created some focus by enhancing the existing features, and the Sense of Scale is arguably achieved at a fraction of the price of what we had to do earlier at Angel Square.

I have not done enough research on Shad Thames but I am using these photos to illustrate and compare the Sense of Place and Scale that is evident in these two examples.

Facing River Thames, Shad Thames warehouse buildings were adapted and re-used, while the boardwalk enhanced, and fancy restaurants face the river. Certainly, Shad Thames of the old where the ships docked and prepared on the arduous journeys to the East, and where mariners and sailors cavorted with prostitutes, now is gentrified as chic London.

Has the Sense of Place cease to be? Even so, the Sense of Scale is still very much there, I believe.

Butler's Wharf at Shad Thames
Originally uploaded by Naziaty

Being an Architect in Malaysia (1)

Yesterday I had a conversation with two 30 something young architects. They were students of mind when I was teaching at UTM from 1991-94. Both of them obtained their RIBA Part 3 a few years ago and are practicing in Manchester. They are married to each other, with no kids, and had just recently been back home in Malaysia for a 4 weeks holiday.

I end up having philosophical conversations with them every time I meet them, which is not often. The topics are often rehash of the old ones, and centered around issues, such as, 'of being a Malaysian', 'going back to Malaysia' and 'the prospect of returning home from abroad'. If I was their age, I would delay coming back to Malaysia as much as I can. In fact, in 1991, I did not want to return home but was forced to due to the recession in the U.K.

As I am 10 years older than them, and have to honour my contract to return soon enough, this is not an issue for me personally. But I was curious as how they see it. I reflected with them on the issue of the prospects of being an architect in Malaysia. I asked them this question as one of them has a brother-in-law who had decided to quit at 30 something and sell Amway products, via direct-selling and practices architecture in a part-time basis. Perhaps he has made a decision to take it easy and control his time on his own terms rather than be dictated by the whims of working for someone in an architectural practice, where it is known that one works overtime almost everyday, and even on weekends. Or perhaps there is the bigger picture of working prospects, quality of working life and deep seated dissatisfaction at the state of affairs of working as an architect in Malaysia.

I asked my two protagonists hypothetically, which of the two architects, one in the U.K. and one in Malaysia, at 30 something would have a better prospect of continuing being an architect in the industry or profession and be happy developing as an architect until he or she retires. Both of them answered, " The architect in the U.K. would have a better prospect, irregardless of where he or she comes from."

If you have been trained as an architect, partly or with a full registration, a Malaysian, working local or abroad, you probably know of many, many architects being disillusioned at the prospect of continually being an architect until you retire in Malaysia.

We reflected on the fact that in Malaysia, there may be a problem of 'politics' working in a practice in Malaysia or/and the 'lack of support' from PAM (Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia), an equivalent of RIBA, to help and nurture young architects working in the industry, as for example the rate of passing the Part 3 examinations (in order to be a registered architect) in Malaysia is 17 - 30 % compared to approximately 60% in the U.K. I know this for a fact because I have many friends, in Malaysia, who tried valiantly to pass this exam, for the third of fourth time, and are still unsuccessful. At the age of 40 something, I could imagine the frustration that they have to go through. One of them told me a few years ago, " I don't know what else I could have done. I thought I have prepared the best way (after two earlier attempts)..."

We know for a fact that there are architects who heads very successful practices, who do not possess a Part 3 registration from PAM. They had just decided that it is no use waiting and fighting and got on with the job they do best, and let their partners who has the qualification sign the documents of contract for the practice. It is not such a big deal at the end of the day.

But is getting a Part 3 registration the biggest issue on the prospect of being an architect in Malaysia?

I do not think so, as I had quite a few of those qualified with Part 3 thinking of having a career in teaching architecture so quickly in their prime. When I pose them 3 basic questions about why they want to teach, they had to ponder why they are making that move towards teaching. For example, one individual still have not answered those 3 questions and made any attempts to pursue teaching until now.

But the basic question still remain. I have also known people who decided to sell carpets or venture on a totally different business from being a practicing architect or related professions (being a contractor, supplier and other construction related jobs) in their mid and late 30s. Whereby, you could imagine these very same people continue being an architect in the U.K. until their late 50s.

The discussion will continue...

Giant Red Sequoia

Are giant red sequoias only found in California?



Giant Red Sequoia from California

This tree was found in Cambridge. In the Botanical Garden grounds to be exact. The Homo sapiens in the photo is me, to illustrate the scale difference undoubtedly, as you cannot really tell who it is...and the red pair of crutches is barely recognisable!

I don't mind being used as a scale. I do that with people in my photography as well, especially when taking shots of buildings. When it happens to you, you have got to take it.

The Botanical Garden in Cambridge is absolutely a wonderful place to walk around. Went there last last week, and some plants were blooming and flowering, and the bees were buzzing like mad. I went there in early Spring and it is really nice to see the difference in patterns of growth. It is an adventure to me.

It was nice kicking the pine cones about and rustling the plastic bags and fooling the ducks. They all came waddling to us, when we rustled the bags, because people come to feed them food from plastic bags. But there were some smart ones who knew what we were up to, so they preened themselves rather. They have such lovely glistening aquamarine colour heads with different shades. You cannot find those shades from a paint tube...

Yesterday's Seminar

Yesterday, I attended a seminar organised by the English Heritage, National Trust and Disability Rights Commission on Historic Environment at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Originally uploaded by Naziaty.

There were really only two participants and three speakers, plus three others from the organisors. However it was lively as the two participants including myself were animated in discussion along with the speakers. It was a good networking prospect.

What is particularly interesting on the issues raised by the speakers were issues that I had increasingly being aware of in my research of late. These are; Disability Awareness (relating to managing the services for the public), the Idea of Significance in the Historic Environment and Consultation with the Users. In fact, I can safely say that these are the main issues to the whole issue of Acess to Historic Environment in England and Wales, now. I would even go far as to start my PhD thesis conclusions on these issues.

Revisit

During April this year, I went to Islington to interview Alan Stanton, quite a famous architect. His office is in Diespeker Wharf near the Angel Tube Station.


Diespeker Wharf

There is history at this area for me. I take the number 73 bus for a couple of years in the lates 80s and early 90s to get to work and one of the projects that I did for Rock Townsend during my year out was the Angel Square Office Blocks. Part of it is shown below.

angel_square
Originally uploaded by Naziaty.

This was the scene at the canal which leads to Stanton's office and because I was too early for the appointment ( I showed up at the office at 11 am, when it was suppose to be 2 pm...) so I had to while my time away at this canal.

islington_canal
Originally uploaded by Naziaty.

Blakeney, Morston Quay, Langham...

I mentioned about Langham Village in the post before this. It is really a village with one pub. We could not even find a grocery store, so provisions had to be bought at Blakeney a coastal tourist spot. The tide was not high enough, so the boats set sail from Morston Quay.



The boat from Morston Quay took us to where there is a reserved area for seals and birds. We took the earliest boat, so that was a good choice as the seals were sunning themselves exuberantly, belly up and a few went swimming as we passed them by. There were scores of them, grey ones, brown ones and white ones... big ones and small baby seals... The kids in the boat were so excited, and that also include those below the age of 5!



We stayed at a place called the Well Barn, which was a barn that had been refurbished and built extensively to be a self-catering cottage. See me with the Well Barn behind!

Around Cambridge

I stayed at Cambridge and went on a three day break to Langham Village sometime last March and April for about 2 weeks. We had evening drives around the Cambridge area and I found out that there is a designated Green Belt around Cambridge, so you won't get industrial sites and housing estates sprouting like mushrooms, and a very scenic drive indeed.

One of the places that we toured was the Devil's Dyke, which is a very long ditch that was built during the Roman Times sited across fields connecting different towns. Devil's Dyke Info



Looking far ahead yonder to find the end of the Devil's Dyke, but no where in sight!



Tired from relentless archaelogical pursuits the traveller takes a breather upon the Devil's Dyke.

Manchester City Football Stadium Tour

Marcus, my supervisor and I went on the Manchester City Football Stadium Tour last year, and I decided to sit on the manager's seat, at that time, it was Kevin Keegan. He was a Liverpool player in the 70s, so that was the thrill of posing on his chair.

Recently, I went to the same tour again with Judy Wee last Friday, and they had replaced Kevin Keegan with Stuart Pierce, who did well, to be fair. But there was no thrill as he was a Nottingham Forest player, as we know it, so... In fact everyone in the tour party was not that excited unlike the Liverpool Football Stadium Tour that I went with my family! What a difference in emotion and sentimental association...

The stadium which had won the First Prize in the RIBA Inclusive Design Award,had originally been conceived and built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.They had refurbished and added more seatings, for a total of 48,500 seats.
Manchester City Football Stadium Info

The tour guide said that there were about 200 or more seats for the disabled spectator, and Judy and I gasped in appreciation. "Yes, that would have cliched the First Prize beating the likes of the Manchester Chinese Art Centre and the Manchester Museum..." I thought secretly.

Needless to say, Judy's digital camera had run out of battery power as she was busy clicking away during the tour.

A Blast from the Past

Judy's visit is what I call, a blast from the past. A very determined and persistent person, I had a chat about the past and future of Malaysia Disabled Access Activism with her on Friday and it continued on Saturday. Today I am in Cambridge, taking a break.

On Saturday, 4th of June, Judy and I went to the

Chinese Art Centre.

I reasoned out why this building got nominated for the RIBA Award for Inclusive Design 2004. The refurbished listed building's basement area was dedicated for private areas and the only public area are the toilets and an education centre. Upstairs were the main exhibition space, shop area, reception and seating area to sip tea. Although they maintained the old columns and much of the internal wall system,there was evidently a 'good flow' for visitors to move around without any effort to overcome change of levels. The graphics and signs were clear and the management were helpful. The building is located within the old Fish Market building complex, which had been refurbished into apartments as well.

We went to the Manchester Museum (which had been written about earlier), and I sat at the cafe while Judy went round taking photos, as I wanted to conserve my energy.

We bundled ourselves into the car to head south of Manchester to have a quick tour around the fringes of the Peak District. On the way we stopped at a pub called the 'Dog and Partridge' and had our lunch there. The place was very accessible and it was a delight to Judy to discover a restaurant which has most of the features required, but the service was lacking in accessibility.

The Peak District tour was interesting as the roads were undulating, as much as the landscape did. "Sheeeeep!", screamed Judy."Slow down, slow down," instructed Judy. "Quick-lah take the photo, got car behind," I urged hurriedly. " Cowwww..." she cried, and the scenario repeated again. The weather was kind and although it got cloudy sometime, Judy said she was pleased, or so she said diplomatically.

We managed to catch a film at the Cornerhouse called ' The Keys of the House' which featured a disabled teenager and his father who decided to reunite with him after 15 years of 'running away' from his responsibilities. Film Review

We took the opportunity to have an access audit done on the premises, and discovered that the small theatre, ie Cinema 3, had a ramp and Judy had to be assisted to get to the seating area.

I assisted Judy in obtaining the coach tickets to Bristol, the next day. She will go on a round trip to see her godmother after she finished at the end of the week, and I shan't be seeing her after that as I will only get back to Manchester on Friday.

We managed to discuss about my future in activism when I get back to Malaysia, and a possible project to be done once I get back next year. Judy is very persistent that way. That is why she and her group in Singapore had been successful in their efforts to include disabled people's concerns and needs, by working with the authorities.

What I did today.

I took my colleague who had recently arrived from Singapore yesterday around Salford and Manchester. We went to the University of Salford, Manchester City Art Gallery, Manchester City Football Stadium and the Salford Quays. We also ate dinner at Jati, a Malay-Thai Cafe Restaurant.

My colleague is also an activist and she is a consultant with UNESCAP. She is doing a long distance course managed by my PhD supervisor and co-supervisor. With her own funds, she managed to come here for the Summer School for about 10 days.

I assisted her endeavour to take photos of Inclusive Design and Accessibility features by visiting various places today. It is also a good session for her to orientate herself in the two cities.

There are not many of us involved in Accessibility in the Asia and Pacific region. When one of us needs help, the others need to assist. Her resource will be used in turn for us in the region. We push around the resource. Whoever is willing to do for the disability cause, will have to do. If you are a doer, do. If you are a trainer, train. Sometimes the same faces appear again and again, in various capacities.

Tomorrow, we hope to visit a couple more buildings and also drive a bit further south around the English countryside, a peek at the

Peak District.

Perhaps stop by a tea room and get some tea and cakes. Hopefully it will be sunnier than today.

Midnight Post

What really matter? I ask you that question.
I ask myself that question.

And when I do, I can find myself again. The centre point, the point of reflection, the focus of introspection, the way forward, the reality ...

Despair was reflected in the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' when Freddy Mercury sang the last verse, " Nothing really matter, anyone can see, nothing really matter, nothing really matter to me...take me where the wind blows..."

Is it frightening? Is it sad? When nothing really matter. Like when there is no purpose...in life.
All my life I had pushed myself to strive for a purpose.

So when I stare at this thing called PhD, which I am suppose to purposefully complete, I stare at despair, emptiness and a big void.

It is that paper at the end of the day that says, 'You have a doctorate'. You have got the ticket to go places!
You want to see that piece of paper in your hand. You want your mother and family to be happy. You want your loved ones to be proud of you. You want your friends to feel good for you. You want your colleagues to know you have proved your point.

No, the paper is not in my hand.

I stare at my empty hands. I stare at space. What am I focusing at?

What really matter?

Is the PhD what really matter?

You see when all your energy is brought into action to chase after this paper. When all your attention is FORCED to focus on this endeavour, you feel spent. Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually...

Somehow, I do NOT think that PhD is what really matter.

I think to be a better person is what really matter. To be able to make things happen for the benefit of good. To turn things round and make things clearer. To be able to create things.

And if PhD happens to make you want to do that, then perhaps, it is worth it.
It would be worthwhile doing your PhD.

Whether you get the paper or not is another story.

GerLFC

GerLFC
Originally uploaded by Naziaty.

This is me taking myself seating on one of the seats at Anfield. I was very excited that day as it was the very first visit with my family. YNWA

OUCH!

I went to the dentist again this afternoon.

The dentist surgery is located in the middle of a row of terrace houses on Oxford Road, Manchester, next to the ...

Manchester Museum.

The first time I went there, I had to park almost illegally at a side road not far from it. But I having used my brain a little, I found out that (of course), there is a row of parking spaces for disabled visitors to the Manchester Museum near the ...

forecourt to the main entrance.

For the third time, I flashed my blue badge (which had saved me lots of money on parking charges and reduced my walking) to the security guard at the barrierred post, who by now is quicker to press the button, as I have become more familiar to him. As I passed him, I always felt that he will start scolding me, for he had that stern look of someone who had to deal with all this nonsense many times before. My Mancunian cum Malay accent was used along with a sickly grin (aren't they all), trying to make myself look not guilty.

But then, I asked myself, "Why should I feel guilty? I have the blue badge. I am qualified medically as disabled. And I am going to the Manchester Museum, like I told the guard. Although I may just be passing through while utilising their toilets."

Forget that. It is no use arguing with myself. What happens next at the dentist was to me quite amusing.

You know how I dread the PAINFUL tooth extraction, so I was thinking that I may need to tell the dentist that I need some local anaesthetic to reduce the pain. I went in. I was not afraid. I just sat there. Did not say a word apart from the description of my problem. And "shuck" the dentist pulled the bit of tooth out. As he pulled it quickly, I found myself yelping, "Ouch!" Yes, it's not "Oww" or "Argghhh" or "Arrrr". It's a noticable ouch! And loud at that. Perhaps a little to loud for those waiting outside. I suppose I actually wanted to shout out loud, as I did not do so the other day. Sort of a belated release action. I think it was painful... I mean, when he pulled...

Managed to put on a light banter at the end, saying to the dentist, "That was not so painful..." No need to pay, of course, as it was the dentist's mistake that the bit was left on earlier.

I left totally relieved of this torture and lightened by getting rid of the burden of a smelly rotting tooth.

I felt excited ... like the star of a mouthwash commercial. Not conscious of having a silly grin.