Disability-friendly infrastructure: Room for improvement in public awareness
Widad who has dwarfism called for practical improvements, such as increasing the number of signboards for priority lanes to better assist those with disabilities.
SHAH ALAM - While Malaysia has made commendable progress in building more inclusive infrastructure, there is still room for improvement when it comes to public awareness.
Human resource and admin executive Widad Abdul Muiz Dzihni, 28, who has dwarfism said she appreciated the accessibility of certain facilities, such as disabled parking spaces and public transport infrastructure like LRT stations.
However, she said empathy and common sense among the public in shared spaces were still lacking.
"In Malaysia, the infrastructure for people with disabilities is friendly enough for me. Disabled parking and train facilities are accessible and that’s great.
"In trains, public transport, or when it comes to parking spaces, people should be considerate.
"You might be strong enough, but there are others who are not as strong. Give some space and be more empathetic," she told Sinar Daily.
She also called for practical improvements, such as increasing the number of signboards for priority lanes to better assist those with disabilities.
Meanwhile, she said growing up with physical differences came with unique challenges.
She said many tend to think that people with dwarfism were incapable of leading independent, functional lives, when in fact they were perfectly capable, with differences limited to physical stature and not ability.
"People think I can’t do anything like normal people, but I want to clarify that I’m normal, just small in size. That’s all," she said when contacted.
She shared how society's misperceptions could be limiting and discouraging.
Yet, Widad said she has consistently proven that she could achieve as much as anyone else.
"I’ve often been told that I can’t drive, but I proved them wrong. I own a car, I have a driving license and I can even drive long distances.
"Sometimes, I drive from Kelantan to Kuala Lumpur and people are really impressed when I tell them this," she said.
For Widad, independence was crucial. She said she did not want to be treated as a "special" person unless it was genuinely necessary.
"I don’t need help with anything unless it’s something like reaching for an item on a high shelf.
"Basically, I am like any other person. I can sit anywhere, I can walk and I can climb stairs. There’s no problem at all," she added.
