Living With Disability

If you move around in Kuala Lumpur using public transportation, ask yourself this — how many times have you noticed a disabled person on wheelchair facing difficulties getting into a packed train during peak hours?

MEMBERS of the disabled commu­nity should not be discriminated against and be offered employment opportunities like able-bodied people.

There’s a call for New Zealand to introduce a disabled “companion card” scheme similar to those run overseas. In Australia, such a programme gives discounted and free tickets to the companion escorting a registered disabled person to an event.

One in four New Zealanders have a disability and for many of them a plastic straw helps hydrate or feed themselves as well as giving them independence.

Monga, who became the country’s first blind aerobics instructor when she was in her late-20s, and later set up her own recruitments and corporate training firm, says it was never her disability that held her back, but the voices of naysayers.

In the bid to design alternatives to straws, there’s one oft-ignored population that will be negatively affected when the much-maligned drinking devices aren’t so readily available. For many people with physical disabilities, straws “are vital for independent living.”

Throw into the mix that I’ve been disabled since the age of 14, however, and environmentalism can start to get tricky. Over the years, I’ve had to learn that being green does not always sit comfortably with my access needs.

More than 22,000 special access tickets for people with disabilities have been sold for the World Cup in Russia. BBC reporter Ashley John-Baptiste met one England fan with limited mobility to see what it’s like navigating public transport and visiting the stadiums. (Video journalist: Abdujalil Abdurasulov)

The Marvel movie’s antagonist suffers from chronic pain. Instead of exploring a way for her to cope, the film simply conjures up a magic cure and ableist tropes about disability.

Every now and then there are cases of people who have gone missing, such as an elderly person suffering from memory loss or child with mental disability. Taman Gasing Indah RT, which works closely with the police on community and safety programmes, decided to bring in a collection of safety bracelets called SleekTag to address such situations.