Is This Our Envisioned ‘Caring Society’?
Aug 10th, 2009 by Steven
This visually-challenged man has to make his way round tables and chairs as well as to ‘feel’ the edge of the walkway lest he falls into the drain
Much has been said about our nation’s Caring Society, which is encapsulated as a key objective of Vision 2020 that “by the year 2020, Malaysia should become a united nation with a confident society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically-just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient”.
The photo above clearly lends evidence to laments that many places are not handicap-friendly … the placing of tables and chairs/stools by owners of eating places along the 5-foot ways along shophouses. Common sense will tell you that if you place 3-foot round or square tables and chairs along the 5-foot walkway, it leaves little space for pedestrians. It’s obvious that this poses a challenge for mobility-handicapped people and senior citizens who are less mobile and need assistance when walking. And it’s impossible for a person on a wheelchair to navigate through the obstacle course. What’s worse is when hot stoves and gas burners are placed along the corridors.
It looks like the concept of a Caring Society is very much an elusive aspiration; a talking point used by certain groups of people to drum up support for specific agendas. Who will speak up for the minority socially disadvantaged group?