“This will clearly signify that the parking bays are for the disabled so that people will not simply park there.”
Francis also stressed that parking spaces for the disabled must be of proper specifications.
“By this, we mean bigger parking lots so that there will be enough space for wheelchair-bound passengers to alight safely.
“If there is one parking lot, there should be more room on the side but if there are two lots, then one of the side spaces can be shared. There is no need for many such parking lots – only at places where the disabled can go will do,” he explained.
Ensure compliance with rulings
NOT RIGHT: A driver taking up a parking bay designated for the disabled.
Francis also highlighted the right of the disabled to access public facilities, pointing out that towards this end, the service providers should conform to certain requirements.
He said this was not just a matter of government policy to promote a caring society but that Malaysia, being a signatory to an international convention on the rights of the disabled, had to ensure compliance with the requirements.
“For instance, the Convention on the rights of a person with disablities under the 2006 UN Declaratioin was signed by Malaysia in 2008 and rectified in 2010.”
Francis said there was an international obligation to give the disabled the right of access to public facilities, adding that at the national level, the government had already passed the Person with Disablities Act 2008, modelled on the UN Declaration.
“Under Section 26 of the UN Declaration, access to many areas should be provided for the disabled, including a building and its facilities and amenities whether inside or outside, and also public transport and car park.”
He pointed out that Malaysia had an obligation to provide such facilities and the service providers should understand the rationale behind such a provision based on proper specifications and requirements.
“It’s not just about providing a parking lot but other facilities as well.”
He said what an NGO like the Sarawak Society for the Disabled wanted was for the public and the government agencies concerned to understand and implement what was stipulated in the UN Declaration in order to indirectly help the government fulfill its international and national obligations.
“When a country signs an international convention or agreement, there is a monitoring mechanism – a reporting system – to ensure you conform otherwise they will query you and you have to answer back. This is what we have to understand.”