In light of the plastic straw ban in the Federal Territories next year, advocates representing persons with disabilities (PWDs) have urged eateries to provide alternative drinking straws to those with limited physical movements. “Straws are needed by those with neurological problems or have limited physical movement such as tetraplegics or quadriplegics,” said founder and chairman of the non-governmental organisation OKU Sentral Ras Adiba Radzi.

Lazimnya, apabila berdepan dengan golongan istimewa itu, rata-rata masyarakat akan menunjukkan simpati dan belas kasihan terhadap mereka. Namun, sejauh manakah tahap pemahaman individu normal tentang golongan istimewa ini?

A tahfiz school founder, a driver, and a van company were ordered by the Sessions Court here on Sunday (Sept 23) to pay RM4.3mil in compensation to an accident victim. Former tahfiz student Muhammad Faiz Hafizuddin Mohd Izahir (pic), 18, who was left permanently disabled following a road accident last year, had sued the school management for negligence.

Working to become the go-to talent agency for “differently-abled” people (the term Project DON prefers to use), Project DON was founded in July this year by 21-year-old Bernard Benzamin Nathan, who himself suffers from type 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

The 22-year-old man with autism, who was arrested for allegedly molesting a woman, is oblivious that he is the subject of discussions about dealing with persons with disabilities, his mother said. While touched by the overwhelming support from the public, Hasnah Abdul Rahman said her son was not aware that he had sparked a debate about whether the authorities were adequately trained to handle cases involving people like him.

My second year of high school, my best friend had to have surgery and needed to use a wheelchair for a while. Her return to school was horrible. The school didn’t accommodate her the way they were legally supposed to. She felt like a burden every time she asked for help with anything. For me, her experience was a wake up call.

Many of us take getting around our cities and towns for granted. But it’s not as easy for those with a disability, and the elderly. Not knowing where the toilets are for instance – and are they accessible?
This can impact a person’s social experience and sometimes whether they even leave the house. How can we make design more inclusive?

She founded Disrupt Disability, an organisation with the aim of drastically reducing the cost of custom wheelchairs using tech solutions like 3D printing and making custom chairs widely available.