PAD 252 Article Review 4 : Kuching City South is handicapped-friendly

Article :

KUCHING: When Josh John lost the use of both his legs 17 years ago from acute transverse myelitis, one adjustment he had to make was how to move around and get on with life.

John, an accountant, suffered a viral attack on his spinal cord that eventually left him paralysed from the chest down."Seventeen years on, I'm still trying to find my way around."There are not many places where wheelchair-bound people like me can go to. Most public buildings, including government offices, are difficult for us to get into without help from someone else to literally haul us in."However, John said in the last five years, he found some improvement and there are some shopping complexes he could go to without worrying his wife, Hilda, too much.What John failed to notice was that these shopping complexes are found in the "south" side of the city, within the administration of Kuching City South (MBKS) until he read a news report that MBKS is now recognised as a handicapped friendly city.MBKS was bestowed the "Appreciation for Caring Local Authority" award at last year's National Disabled Day for its efforts in improving infrastructure and providing accessible amenities for the disabled and physically challenged.John found he could get into these malls without having to call to anyone for help and they quickly got into his list of places he could go to.John, who drives a modified Proton Saga, said there even parking spaces specially reserved for physically challenged people like him at these shopping complexes -- a move forward from what it was even two years ago.Kuching City South mayor Datuk James Chan said since taking over office in 2007 he had made it mandatory for all new building plans submitted to city hall for approval to be compliant of the building by-law to have facilities for the handicapped.He said MBKS had started requiring all new building plans install handicapped facilities mandatory back in 2004.Apart from ramps, facilities that have to be handicapped friendly are the lifts and the toilets.Toilets for the handicapped have wider doors to accommodate a wheelchair, handrails and a lower sink.While some efforts are made to look into the needs of the city's small population of handicapped, John said more could be done.He said the car parks reserved for the handicapped are normally taken by inconsiderate motorists and the ramps blocked by other vehicles."That's what irked us most, inconsiderate people who give no thought to the handicapped."

Read more: Kuching City South is handicapped-friendly - Nation - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/kuching-city-south-is-handicapped-friendly-1.209296#ixzz2mObK3ZSA

ARTICLE REVIEW

Kuching South City Council Cat Statue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many years ago in Kuching, most public buildings, including government offices, are difficult for the disabled to get in without help, there are not many places where wheelchair-bound people can go too. Kuching City South (MBKS) is now known as a handicapped-friendly city. At 2012 National Disabled Day, MBKS was given the “Appreciation for Caring Local Authority” award for improving infrastructure and providing accessible amenities for the disabled and physically challenged. Since year 2007, Kuching City South mayor has made it mandatory for all new building plans submitted to city hall for approval to be compliant of the building by-law to have facilities for the handicapped. Facilities such as ramps, lifts and toilets were built since. Toilets were designed to have wider doors to accommodate a wheelchair, handrails and a lower sink. There are even parking spaces specially reserved for physically challenged people. The mayor emphasized that more could be done to improve to meet the needs of the handicapped, though, there were inconsiderate people who violated and misused the facilities for the handicapped.

ARTICLE RELATE TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The article reminds us the Juran’s Quality Trilogy, which consists of three basic quality oriented process management, which are: quality planning, quality control and quality improvement. Many years ago, there is not much building; including the government offices has facilities to provide the disabled and handicapped access to the building. Concerned with the needs of the disabled and handicapped customers, MBKS came up with plans to ensure the quality lifestyle in Kuching, especially in the South, can also be enjoyed by the disabled. Quality planning focuses on ensuring that the goals of quality can be achieved within and through operational activities. In order to do that MBKS identify their customers, the physically challenged and has determined their needs and demand of more handicapped-friendly facilities. Hence, MBKS mayor came up with a plan, which he thought could be used and developed to meet the needs of the people under and through actual process. Quality control involved execution of plans and to operate the process to meet the established quality goals, besides monitoring operations that performs with optimal effectiveness. Quality Control executed by MBKS which is to make it mandatory for all new building plans submitted to city hall for approval to be compliant of the building by-law to have facilities for the handicapped. Though there were inconsiderate people who misused the facilities built for the disabled and handicapped, the mayor keep it positive and hoping for quality improvement in the future. Quality improvement could be defined as to take the established process to a newer and better level in order to produced goods and services of better qualities by using the resources efficiently. But, for the disabled people in Kuching, the mayor has done so much to make Kuching a much better city for them to move around. For the disabled like John, the city as improved and making his life better, and that’s quality improvement. For the MBKS’s quality management and improving infrastructure and providing accessible amenities for the disabled and physically challenged, MBKS has been awarded “Appreciation for Caring Local Authority”, it is recognition and also an encouragement for the organization to perform better and produce better goods and services for the people, especially the disabled in Kuching. Recognition is an aspect that helps to ensure effective quality standards expected by organizations and their customer. Although this award is not stated in the syllabus, but yet, it is also a noble award, which recognized MBKS as a quality organization that not only provide the best service to its customers but also exceeds the expectation of all people to be so considerate and firm on its objectives.