SHAH ALAM, 25 Dec: The Selangor State Government is currently undertaking 14 school upgrading projects that involve seven primary schools and seven secondary schools specifically for People With Disabilities (PWD) in the state.
These upgrading projects have been endeavoured at the grassroots level by increasing educational centres for the disabled group so as to attain equal education in the community.
Welfare, Women’s Affairs, Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture Executive Councillor, Rodziah Ismail said that the State Government also plans to expand this project to upgrade other schools in the near future to provide disabled-friendly infrastructure.
“Educational institutions should give equal rights, especially to these group of people, so they they attain proper education thus guaranteeing the future of their livelihood and their careers,” she said in a question and answer session with representatives of PWD at the PWD Convention and Interactive Dialogue at Dewan Jubli Perak Shah Alam.
Also present in the panel were the Deputy Director of the Selangor Department of Labour (JTK), Masturah Bajuri, Assistant Director of the Special Education Unit of the Selangor Department of Education, Kama Shaffeei, Director of the Selangor Department of Community Services (JKM), Tuan Nik Omar Nik Abdu Rahman, and the Chief Matron of Family Health Development Division of the Ministry of Health Maaysia (KKM), Cheoh Siew Tin.
Rodziah explained that the State Government is concerned about this group of people, including their opportunity of obtaining their own disabled-friendly homes, disabled women’s programmes through the Women’s Empowerment Centre (PWB) and insurance in case of deaths of RM2,500.
In fact, she said, awareness programmes to the whole community will be organised to further strengthen the disabled group’s relationship with the surrounding communities.
Meanwhile, the disabled group are now required to register with the Selangor State Government to ensure welfare and assistance is given to them.
Rodziah said that the State Government will be holding a statewide PWD Registration Campaign and a special website with the cooperation of other agencies such as JKT and JKM, will be created for this group.
“As of 2012, some 22,000 PWD have registered with the state and it is believed that many PWD have yet to register,” she added.
In the meantime, Deputy Director of Selangor JKT, Masturah Bajuri said that her department will assist PWD obtain jobs for those interested in getting jobs at a certain company.
“If a disabled person is interested in getting a job at a company which is close to the person’s home, JKT will personally assist in personally sending the disabled individual’s application to the company and most applications that go through JKT have been successful in attaining jobs,” she said.