Disabled people: Little done to help them access facilities, transport

THE International Day of Disabled Persons on Dec 3 was yet another wonderful opportunity to promote understanding and increase public awareness of disability issues, and to promulgate the importance of integration and the well-being of people with disabilities.

However, here in Malaysia, one year after Action and Inclusion for the Disabled (AID) wrote a letter regarding the 2006 International Day of Disabled Persons, nothing of any substance has changed.

Consider, for example, the issue of disabled-friendly public transport facilities and buildings.

Accessibility to the majority of facilities, such as buildings, public transport, footpaths and road crossings, even some of those that were recently set up, is not possible since they have not been properly designed to make them usable by everyone.

Universal access to buildings is still a novelty and is by no means universally available. Some buildings built in the past 12 months are totally inaccessible to people in wheelchairs.

RapidKL even introduced so-called disabled-accessible buses, but these vehicles have been designed incorrectly, so that the area designed to accommodate two persons using wheelchairs occupies almost half of the available floor space, and there are only two seats in this half of the bus.

In Penang, the situation is worse because the new RapidPenang buses are universally inaccessible.

Over the past 18 months, AID has been meeting regularly to discuss the routing and accessibility options for the Penang monorail with Melewar Integrated Engineering and we are confident that they have addressed the requirements of the disabled within their monorail design.

We sincerely hope that whichever company constructs the Penang Monorail will ensure that the monorail system is accessible to all, and that the routing and stops will serve all the people who live along its route.

Most pavements are still not accessible to persons using wheelchairs, the blind, and the elderly. There are sometimes ramps of sorts, but more often than not, they are too steep or the kerbs are too high, there are obstructions on pavements, such as lamp posts, sign posts, non-flush manholes, etc.

Tactile markings for the blind are sometimes installed, though some of these do not follow required specifications.

We observed recently, in Kuala Lumpur, a new pavement 1.2m wide where the tactile markings turned 90 degrees left to within few centimetres of a wall, then 90 degrees right, 90 degrees right again and finally 90 degrees left. All this go around a grating 60 sq cm.

Author: ABDUL KARIM STUART RUSSELL for Action and Inclusion for the Disabled, Kuala Lumpur

Website Accessibility Important For Disabled Visitors

A study released by computing and disability charity, AbilityNet, found that people with disabilities favour the most accessible websites when using the Internet. A poll of over 100 people with disabilities showed that the disabled community use the Internet for information, shopping, banking and leisure, just like everyone else. However, most disabled users will spend their time and money only on businesses that cater to their needs with more accessible ( http://www.accuracast.com/services/usability-accessibility.php ) sites.

Demographics of UK's Disabled Audience

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that there are 610 million disabled persons worldwide. The European Parliament estimates that there are 37 million disabled individuals in the EU, over 50% of whom are of working age. 10.3 million UK residents declare that they have a limiting long-term illness. These numbers are significant enough to make anyone realise the potential audience they could be ignoring by creating websites ( http://www.accuracast.com/services/search-engine-optimisation/website-development.php )that are hard to access.

Disability Discrimination Act

The Disability Discrimination Act ascerts that website owners have had a legal duty, since October 1999, to ensure that all services provided via their website are accessible to disabled people. Any company not complying with the accessibility guidelines could potentially open itself up to legislation and discrimination lawsuits from disabled customers.

Disability Rights Commission: User-friendly websites for all

The disability rights commission launched guidance yesterday on how to launch a website that is user friendly. The document, Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 78, was developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and sponsored by the Disability Rights Commission.

• Details on the PAS 78 can be found at http://www.bsi-global.com/PAS78

Common Accessibility Problems

Typical accessibility problems encountered by most disabled users include:

• Text size on some sites is hard-coded so that it cannot be easily enlarged

• Text labels attached to images (Alt text attribute) are often uninformative or absent

• Pictures of text are often used instead of actual text

• Adverts and features made up of moving images distract visitors with a cognitive impairment

• Interactive presentations such as 'Flash Movies' present access problems for visitors who cannot use a mouse, are vision impaired or who use speech output or voice recognition software

• Mini programs embedded in the page such as JavaScripts prevent full access the sites.

About The Author

Farhad Divecha is the founding Director of AccuraCast, London's leading search engine marketing agency. He has 7 years experience marketing products and services online and offline. His past projects included managing $80 million PC Card product lines for 3Com, consulting for Household, Proctor & Gamble and numerous other large and small companies in the UK and USA. His experience and vision steered AccuraCast to rank among the top 25 search agencies in the UK (NMA 2006 Marketing Services Guide). 

Guide Dog Training For The Disabled

Who said that "the dog is man's best friend" didn't talk nonsense, and the saying is old enough to confirm its value of truth: not only is the dog a reliable friend and a playful giddy presence, but if passed through the "fire" of a guide dog training, he can become the only support a person with disabilities has, when going out, helping them and teaching them in return how to live. The experts that transform the animals into indispensable professionals are very patient and have different special methods to do so. Certain dogs have become famous in the industry of film-making, in police- the capture of wrongdoers and the finding of narcotics –have guided blind people out of their homes for the first time and so on. These are the heroes of the species, and they need a far more complicated method of training than the usual.

Mostly, guide dog training sessions convert the animal into a literal guide for the disabled and enable them to make acquaintance with properly lived life once more: they lead the person while crossing the street, helping her to get on a bus, to the market or the nearby park so that they are directed safe and sound, if blind people are concerned for example. This would not be achieved if the talent and devotion of a special trainer hadn't been invested in the animal through guide dog training.

There's More to it Than Meets the Eye

If there were a standard method that lead to mass guide dog training, then the disabled would face fewer problems but there are many details that skip the knowledge of a passer-by: those wonderful people that dedicate themselves to this type of activities have a hard task to face. Firstly, they are specialists in dog training: how to correct the animal's unaccepted behavior, how to form conditional instincts that make him a submissive pet and how to teach him new commands and of course, keep him in control. Secondly, the person must be aware of every difficulty a disabled man or woman faces, so that he could know what to teach the dog and what to make him sensitive at: the special guide dog trainer possesses a strong background of work with disabled people and creates within months of sessions, an entirely different bond between the future owner and the animal, as opposed to that between a not-physically-challenged person and his pet.

Consequently, the person in need and the animal go both through training, so to speak, and the trainer helps grow between them an unbreakable dependability. He also must foresee what situations the dog might face, such as perils on the sidewalk near his master, as well as ahead of him, to prevent the contact with highly placed objects and low-positioned "dangers". The animal must be also made comfortable with crowds, people that want to pat him on the back and give him a treat, leading to his distraction in real life situations. The guide dog training ensures that the disabled person is taken care of always.

You can also find more info on Dog Training and Dog Behaviour Training . Startdogtraining.com is a comprehensive resource to know how to train yor Dog.

Buildings And Facilities - Provision For Wheelchairs

Persons having difficulty in walking, those suffering from severe illness or bodily injury, and certain physically disabled persons have no other option but to use wheelchairs. The typical type of wheelchair is made up of a seat with a backrest and a footrest, along with two small front caster wheels and two larger rear wheels. Even though there are standard versions of wheelchairs, they are usually customized to suit the need of the patient or the disabled person.

The seat size, seat-to-floor height, controls, and certain other items are normally tailor-made for the individual patient to provide maximum comfort. Several optional accessories are also available, like safety belts, adjustable backrests and anti-tip bars. Mounts for crutches, oxygen cylinders, drink holders, etc. are also provided. Using the so-called omniwheel or the mecanum wheel facilitates multidirectional movement. However, it is provided only when it is absolutely necessary, since control is not as easy as the standard types of wheelchairs.

The types of wheelchairs are self-propelled, attendant-propelled, and powered. Depending on the condition of the patient or the disabled person, one of these is selected so as to give maximum comfort for the user. Attendant-propelled wheelchairs come with back handles for easy pushing. A 4 or 5-ampere rechargeable battery runs powered types. Both dry type and wet type batteries are available, though the dry type is the most preferred one. Pediatric wheelchairs are meant for the use of pregnant women. Wheelchairs for disabled sports persons are special types, incorporating features required for participation in sports.

The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 stipulates certain mandatory provisions in building construction for ease of operation by patients or disabled persons using wheelchairs. It is a statutory requirement in the United States that all new construction for public use have to be built to ADA norms. Construction of these buildings should conform to specifications of wheelchair accessible construction. Special wheelchair ramps and elevators are added in buildings so that persons with walking disabilities would not face any undue hardship. Powered doors, fixtures like sinks with lower heights, as well as large-spaced toilets with grab bars for easy maneuvering are other requirements that are generally provided for in wheelchair accessible construction of buildings.

Hospitals that have limited floors are constructed with wheelchair ramps for all the floors. However, in large multistory hospitals and buildings, the wheelchair ramp is provided only in the ground floor or the first 2 to 3 floors. However, care is taken to ensure that the person using the wheelchair has easy access to lifts, so that they could go to any floor without difficulty. The design of the wheelchair ramp has to be done accurately to avoid difficulty while climbing up and/or skidding while coming down the ramp. Portable wheelchair ramps are provided mostly in old buildings, where originally no provision was made for persons using wheelchairs. Public places like bus stations and train stations also provide portable wheelchair ramps chiefly to make buses and trains easy for persons in wheelchairs. Buses with low boarding platforms are also in use for such disabled persons. Airports too invariably provide such portable wheelchair ramps, when needed.

Fishing is one of the most favorite pastimes of Americans. Retired persons and persons recovering from illness simply love fishing to pass their time outdoors. Hence, fishing spots normally provide wheelchair accessible fishing facilities. Fishing is the best alternative for persons who can not practice active exercises. This outdoor pastime invigorates the body and also lifts the spirit of the person. Hence, disabled persons, retired people and those recuperating from illness keenly seek wheelchair accessible fishing facilities.

Normal lifts that accommodate six to eight persons would be too small for easy maneuvering of wheelchairs. Public places like government buildings, hospitals, courts, bus & train stations, airports, etc. are frequented by persons using wheelchairs. Hence, such places install larger lifts that facilitate easy wheelchair operations. Such special wheelchair lifts are mandatory for newly constructed buildings to enable them to conform to ADA norms.

Eric Comforth is a consultant who writes on many consumer topics. There is more wheelchair information at Wheelchairs For You

Scooter Lift (By Gregory Hepburn)

The scooter lift is an invention that enables elderly and handicapped individuals to enjoy further independence. Loss of mobility has made it increasingly difficult for them to move around; the use of mobility scooters has given them a large degree of independence, and a scooter lifthelps them to take their independence around with them at home or on vehicles when travelling.
Buying a scooter lift should be looked upon as a long-term investment forthese individuals. It is therefore important to appreciate the positive influence that the right scooter lift can have on such people and their families. The selection of an appropriate scooter lift is an essential part in achieving this objective.
For transporting a scooter, the lift can be attached behind a vehicle, a mobile home or a trailer for holding and carrying their mobility scooterswith complete ease. This lift has the capacity to raise the scooter and tomanoeuvre it into the correct position for the journey. A further advantageis that with a scooter lift, the mobility scooter being transported can be held in place outside the vehicle allowing more interior space for luggage and other accessories.
Scooter lifts are available in various makes and models with a large range of features. They don't weigh too much but can lift, hold and carry approximately 300 pounds of weight. They are affordable, easy to use and easy to maintain and clean. When not in use, scooter lifts can be disassembled for easy storage. Their dimensions vary according to the model being purchased; platform and jack-type models are available.
Most models offer steel construction, a protective coating finish, twelve volt DC motor with optional battery pack. Easy-to-use controls allow safe, simple and reliable operation. They are designed to provide ease of
mobility and accessibility for the difficulties experienced by the disabled and elderly in their daily lives.

Gregory Hepburn is an online marketer and entrepreneur who specializes in content websites. His new website on Scooter Lift has been published. Please see http://www.scooter-store.org for more information.