Mind Education Series XXVI by noornasiha

MIND Education Series XXVI

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur

BACKGROUND Dr Naziaty Yaacob who leads the Grand Challenge Program of Universal Design, is no stranger to BAKTI Mind Project (BMP) and she is instrumental in moving the audit access work that BMP has made its goal to accomplish. The Grand Challenge Research has four sub-programs with the second sub-program (SubGC2) aiming to tackle issues associated with access to public facilities. The research takes a perception approach to investigate the stakeholders’ perspectives of public facilities for PWDs. In so doing, a ‘higher volume’ is brought to the voice of PWDs in the community for the betterment of city planning and increased accessibility. The public facilities in focus for SubGC2 are public service facilities with include police station, health clinic, community hall, kindergarten and mosque in public housing area especially in Kuala Lumpur. Our target is to identify issues of PWD and other stakeholders and using our findings to investigate the extent of the accessibility of the facilities and how they can be further enhanced through universal design. We further aspire to produce a scheme using universal design principles to be implemented by Kuala Lumpur City Hall in their current and future works. The scheme will be a high level integration of public housing and its public community facilities used by the community. At the end of the SubGC 2 second year, we establish an access audit checklist with visuals that are usable and understandable be all parties involved especially the PWDs. For the third year, we aim to produce the master plan design criteria of a ‘surau’, kindergarten, community hall, clinic and police station which will underline accessibility for PWDs using universal design standards.

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

LITERATURE

Issues In Public Housing And Its Public Community Facilities :

Before investigation began, a literature review was carried out to give an initial perspective of the issues in public housing and its public community facilities. Three major issues were identified. This led to be the decision that focus group discussions are most appropriate for understanding the issues. Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

RESEARCH APPROACH

Adapted from The Appreciative Inquiry Summit. James D. Ludema, Diana Whitney, Bernard J. Mohr, & Thomas J. Griffin. 2003

To achieve the goals of understanding the issues using the focus group, the research follows an Appreciative Inquiry Approach in which four major categories are identified to be investigated. These include Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny. This research emphasizes the first category of the research as the Discovery Phase: (i) to identify PWD issues as users of the facilities as well as other stakeholders regarding public housing and its public community facilities. And; (ii) to investigate the extent of the accessibility of the above mentioned facilities..

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

PARTICIPANTS A focus group workshop was identified as the most appropriate data collection method. PWD playing the role of users were divided to six groups. The focus groups were divided according to specific PWD groups namely: elderly, persons with physical disability in particular wheelchair, mothers with toddler, sight disability persons, persons with learning disability and deaf persons. Each group was chaired by a moderators who conducted the sessions with a rapporteur to take notes. Furthermore, every group was divided to have two stakeholders from various profession and authorities namely: architects, planners, researchers. Group

Participants

Moderators

Physical disabilities

Prof. Dr.Ruzita Binti Muhd Amin

Sight disabilities

Puan Hajjah Ch’ng Gaik Bee @ Dalilah Bee Abdullah

Learning disabilities

Dr.Norafida Ab. Ghafar

Elderly

Dr. Mastura Adam

Women and toddler

Dr.NaziatyYaacob

Deaf

Ms. Taofeekat Mustapha

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

FOCUS GROUP

An exploration of users’ perceptions of public community facilities took place using a focus group workshop titled, Accessible Public Community Facilities in Kuala Lumpur. The workshop was held in BAKTI Mind on 13th May, 2015. The findings of the workshop were used to uncover more relevant findings regarding issues of public housing area and its public community facilities in Kuala Lumpur. Focus Group Discussion held at Level 2, BAKTI headquarters, Taman Tun Dr Ismail Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

1. Management and Operation (under the categories identified in the research. Refer to slide 3)

RESULTS: ISSUES & SUGGESTIONS

Physical Disabilities

Sight Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Elderly

Women and toddler

Deaf

Facilities must be in a good condition

The are unaware of safety rules

Facilities must be in a good condition

Safe environment is necessary

An information must be clear to PWDs

Safe environment is necessary

Public needs knowledge to understand PWDs

Smartphone apps are useful in identifying routes to avoid difficulty and taxi scams

Local authorities receive the budget for maintenance but nothing has been done

Safe environment is necessary

The public should be aware and assist when it is required however, they should help them be independent At the same time

Safe environment is necessary

Communication issues with maintenance people Smartphone apps are useful in identifying routes to avoid difficulty and taxi scams All information must be clear to PWDs

Safe environment is necessary

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

2. Policy and Regulation (under the categories identified in the research. Refer to slide 3)

RESULTS: ISSUES & SUGGESTIONS

Physical Disabilities

Sight Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Elderly

Women and toddler

Deaf

Educate the young generation about PWDs Enforcement on the illegal stall or any blocking at walkways, corridor and pavement of all users esp. blind routes.

Inspection in construction stage must be carried out to maintain quality of the facilities

Enforcement on the illegal stall or any blocking at walkways, corridor and pavement of all users esp. blind routes. Establish strict policy for emergency and safety procedure Awareness campaigns are important

Special education for them about accessibility elements and being independent

Design elements must strictly follow guidelines Awareness campaigns are important

The stakeholders should know their roles in the implementation process and in that which has be established based on the guidelines.

Awareness campaigns are important

Service provider should have free digital communication, sms / email / WhatsApp as a support service Awareness campaigns are important Education system for the deaf in this country is not sufficient to support their needs

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

3. Design of Public Community Facilities

RESULTS: ISSUES & SUGGESTIONS

(under the categories identified in the research. Refer to slide 3)

Physical Disabilities

Sight Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Elderly

Women and toddler

Deaf

Design of tactile must be accurate in every situation

Information must be simple and clear

House has partition/wall and it obstructs circulation

Lift must have audio announcer for their information

Design elements must considered safety and inject element of predictability

Toilets are often not disable friendly

Distance between housing area and public facilities is much

Able person park at disable parking Ramps are too steep Every counter must be disable friendly

Braille information is needed and the design must be good Public facilities must be nearby housing areas

Staff at front line must be able to handle situation

Washrooms are not comfortable Parking lot for elderly High curb and uneven surfaces makes the area unsafe Railing is needed to support

Washroom tile shouldn’t be slippery

Facilities for emergency is limited

Parking spaces are small.

Difficult to call for help if stuck in the lift

Parking spaces for mother with Pram is needed

Parking spaces are limited

No pavements from houses to public facilities (using road) If any, it is unusable

No community centres spaces or activities and payment is need Need LCD projector for Friday sermons

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

3. Design of Public Community Facilities (cont.)

RESULTS: ISSUES & SUGGESTIONS

(under the categories identified in the research. Refer to slide 3)

Physical Disabilities

Sight Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Elderly

Women and toddler

Deaf

Add more disable parking

Public transport must be nearby housing area

Not comfortable to climb up woman prayer hall upstairs

Woman prayer hall located upstairs with no lifts

Functional yard design in high rise building to avoid cluttering in the corridor (laundry)

High curb at ablution area creates discomfort

Circulation in hospitals is confusing for the first timers

Counters do not provide interpreting services

Lift needs sensor

Step must not be deep

The element of facilities must be standardized.

No portable toilet at night market

Every public facilities must have lift but it cannot fit double stroller

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

RESULTS: QUOTES “I feel less independent since I need assistant using bathroom because it is small and inaccessible. If I want to renovate it, it will cause a lot of budget.“ Wheelchair Participant

“I would say accessibility is not an issue for me because I could walk, jump, run. There is not much barrier there, it’s just that there is not much facilities for emergency.” Deaf Participant

“Every public facilities must have lift, if not it will trouble us.” Mother with toddler

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

RESULTS: QUOTES Usually the parking for disable, they need stickers, what about the elderly? .” Elderly “Early education is one of the way to them to be independent and accessible.” Participant with learning disabilities

“I have to take the taxi to Masjid Az- Zubir or I can walk to mussola nearby which is in Taman Kobena but if I walk on my own I have to take more than 20 minutes because there are so many barriers on the way to mussolla for example drains and uneven land” Blind participant Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

RESULTS: QUOTES “The guidelines change continuously and when we go to submit formal complaints, it gets ‘lost in translation’ due to the lengthy procedures and finger-pointing saying “this is not my responsibility.” Researcher “In order you want people to take care about you, you must be in the community.” Disable Person

“The local authorities receive the budget for maintenance of public facilities. They have also established guidelines for themselves on how to allocate the money but when it gets to the implementation officers, there seems to be hiccups and we don’t see the complete change” Authority Officer Promotion of Inclusive Society through Seamless Transportation and Mobility for the Inter-generational Society |

CONCLUSION

From the results, PWDs agree that the public community facilities nearby their housing area are available however, there is room for improvement with regard to accessibility to the public community facilities. Furthermore, it is clear that every PWD group has a different way to access in public community facilities for daily routine. Elements must come together in a manner that create an accessible surrounding to satisfy needs of the different PWD groups. This means that the design must be universal and all PWD groups can make use of the facilities at the same time with no difficulty.

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |

REFERENCES Ludema, James D et al. The Appreciative Inquiry Summit. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003. Print. Malaysian Standard 1184:2004, Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings (First Revision). Department of Standard Malaysia.

Kamarudin, Hikmah et al. 'The Implementation Of The Malaysian Standard Code Of Practice On Access For Disabled Persons By Local Authority'. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 50 (2012): 442-451. Web. Hussein, Hazreena, and Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. 'Development Of Accessible Design In Malaysia'. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 68 (2012): 121-133. Web.

From website: http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/community_facilities/ http://universaldesign.ie/Built-Environment/Building-for-Everyone/

Promotion of Inclusive Society through Universal Design Public Facilities in Kuala Lumpur |