Our Disabled finally getting their fair share!

1. BCA looking at steps to make all buildings in S'pore barrier-free

By Noor Mohd Aziz, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 25 September 2006 1642 hrs

Good news for those who find going up and down steps a challenge.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is looking at measures to make all buildings in Singapore barrier-free.

For a start, it is setting its sights on buildings in Orchard Road, Bras Basah and Shenton Way (Read on...)

2. All public buses to be wheelchair-friendly by 2023

By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 15 February 2006 2049 hrs

SINGAPORE : Singapore has rolled out its first wheelchair-friendly bus.

This follows a recent report by the Committee on Aging Issues calling for a more elder-friendly public transport system.

The government is funding the $21 million required to make sure all public buses are wheelchair-accessible by 2023.

It is part of some $172 million it will be spending over the long-term to make Singapore's land transport infrastructure and system more accessible and user-friendly. (Read on...)

3. MediaCorp rolls out real-time subtitling for news bulletins

By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 27 September 2006 1717 hrs

SINGAPORE : Local TV news will be making history next Monday when MediaCorp introduces real-time subtitling for its news bulletins. (Read on...)


Dear friends,

I am quietly pleased that finally, the disabled and disadvantaged are getting the attention that they deserve. It seemed not too long ago ( I think in parliament) when some government minister was defending the policy of why it was not feasible to make all MRT stations handicap-friendly!

I am not going to deliver a harangue to the authorities about why it took such a looong time for our disabled to be able to share basic amenities that most of us have always taken for granted. I am just glad that our friends in wheelchairs or crutches will now be able to board a bus and then proceed into a building without any fuss. The hearing-impaired will of course benefit from subtitling of more TV programmes.

How our society treats its most disadvantaged and helpless, is a reflection of how much Singapore treasures its citizens. It should care for all of us, not just because we add value to the nation’s GDP. It is the duty of the government. Period.

I cannot resist a jibe at the government here. All citizens, no matter who they vote for should be accorded equal rights and benefits. For this, I continue to object to discriminatory policies like the “upgrading for votes” policy.

Ironically, sometimes it seems easier to convince the government to cater for the needs of our disadvantaged than to get Singaporeans to treat the disabled with empathy and patience. I was particularly disgusted by comments in the forum pages about how much inconvenience the wheel-chair loading buses have caused other commuters. Some of them were even late for work!

How uncaring can we be?

Let us continue to look out for blind-spots (no pun intended) where government policies can be improved upon and if need be, let us be the thorn in the flesh or a pain in the ass, till all members of our nation get equitable treatment.

Who knows, the people in power, who are pulling all the strings may be masochists who actually enjoy getting ranted at or having polemics and tirades thrown at them!

Cheers

Dr.Huang Shoou Chyuan