Azizah (third left) officiating at the Kota Kinabalu Down Syndrome Association learning centre at Taman Orkid yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: Collaboration between the community and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is important to facilitate the growth of individuals with special needs (OKUs).
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun emphasized on the need for awareness on the issue when she officiated at the opening of Kota Kinabalu Down Syndrome Association (PSDKK) learning centre here yesterday.
“I’m very proud that an association comprising parents of children with Down syndrome successfully brought this learning centre to fruition without assistance from the government but through collaboration with NGOs,” she said.
“The association is also assisted by volunteers who helped in training the children, and I think this initiative should be given full support and hope so that they may expand their efforts.”
The learning centre here is the 13th in the country.
Although the community is encouraged to get involved in this issue, Azizah said that the ministry provides assistance in acquiring a location for the centre and annual grants, among others.
“We also look into newly established centres and see how best we can assist them,” she said.
“At the State level, the association can register with the Sabah Council of Social Services (MPMS) and the federal government can help as well.
“However, what I would like to emphasize on is the collaboration between various sectors, especially between parents of the children with special needs, NGOs and the community at large.
“This is of utmost importance because with these successful collaborations, learning centres like this come to be, even without aid from the government in the initial stages. We want to have more community-based rehabilitation centres such as this one.”
Azizah added that the ministry had also begun to engage with various groups and sectors, including the public sector, in the pursuit of making workplaces OKU-friendly.
“Accessibility is the key, as this group needs the appropriate tools and amenities which will facilitate their work. In addition, OKUs also need their support system, hence the importance of cultivating an OKU-friendly working environment,” she said.
Also present at yesterday’s event was PSDKK president Dr Fauziah Zainal Abidin and Malaysia Down Syndrome Association (PSDM) president Dr Haron Jaffar.