DPAs President, Mr Nicholas Aw, wrote in to the Straits Times to ask the Government to consider introducing laws to protect the right of persons with disabilities. What are your thoughts about such legislation? MR ONG Soon Kiat suggested ways to deter illegal parking in spaces reserved for disabled drivers (Enforce law on handicap parking more strictly; Dec 29). The Disabled Peoples Association agrees that more needs to be done to ensure that people who need these spaces are able to access them. These larger parking spaces, which allow more space for disabled people to get in and out of their cars, are only for those who display the SG Enable-issued label. The abuse of parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities is just one example of how these people are discriminated against. We often see the improper use of reserved seats on public transport and toilets for persons with disabilities, to name a few instances of everyday abuse by those who are selfish or simply apathetic. To stem such inconsiderate behaviour, we call on the authorities to adopt a more holistic and effective approach to ensure that persons with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities as those without disabilities. Singapore has taken great steps towards becoming more inclusive, yet discriminatory behaviour continues to hinder the ability of those with disabilities to properly integrate and participate in society. Public education campaigns can only go so far towards changing peoples behaviour, and we call on the Government to implement laws to protect the rights of those with disabilities. Such laws do not afford persons with disabilities special privileges, instead they are needed to ensure that these people have the same opportunities and protection as everyone else in Singapore. Originally published at: straitstimes/premium/forum-letters/story/introduce-laws-protect-rights-disabled-people-20150116
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 02:28:24 +0000
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