The Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 needs to be amended to ensure the rights of those under this category are protected and not abused by irresponsible parties, said veteran television personality Ras Adiba Radzi who is also the founder of the non-governmental organisation ‘OKU Sentral’.
She said that the move is important to ensure that appropriate action is taken against those who misuse the facilities provided for the disabled and that the different rules and fines imposed by various authorities are not seen as effective enough in educating the public to respect the needs persons with disabilities.
“We have no penalties or fines if a building is constructed without meeting the specifications (of being safe and friendly for people with disabilities). The same goes for companies or bodies that do not hire persons with disabilities, which by right, there should be 1% (reserved for the group).”
Ras Adiba called for standard guidelines to be set. There is also a need to make people more aware of and taught how to help and support persons with disabilities, in order to function as a harmonious community, she said.
