Disabled to govt: Create ‘one stop centre’ mobile app for us

Such an app would allow disabled people to communicate with each other and reach out to organisations that address their needs, say NGOs.

PETALING JAYA: The government should focus on creating an integrated accessibility mobile application for people with disabilities (OKU) to assist them in their daily lives, says the Malaysia Spinal Injury Association (MSIA).

Disabled individuals could also use such multi-platform mobile apps to communicate with each other and with industries which address services, resources, job opportunities and sponsorships, MSIA secretary Jeyaraj Santraju told FMT.

“The government should focus on developing a ‘one stop centre’ mobile app where OKU people will not only be able to connect with one another, but also reach out to organisations that address their needs,” he said.

“It should be a platform where they can access a wide range of databases – for example, information about centres for the OKUs, medical guidelines, mobility services, job opportunities, funding programmes and many more.”

Jeyaraj added that he had also approached the health ministry in efforts to promote the idea.

Jeyaraj, who is wheelchair-bound, said the app could further assist disabled people in the OKU employee allowance renewal process.

It could also help them search for organisations that provide equipment such as wheelchairs and writing apparatus for the blind.

Weighing in on the issue, Damai Disabled People Association president V Murugeswaran said the app should not be overly complicated.

“The app should be simple enough for the OKU to use, because if it is hard for them to navigate through the app, it beats the whole purpose.”

He added that the government should improve the payment system of the OKU employee allowance.

“There is a lot of hassle that they have to go through in order to get the payment. Mostly the issue comes in terms of mobility and availability of the banks that the government uses to wire the payment.”

It would be easier if the payments were directly transferred to the individuals’ bank accounts, he said.

FMT previously reported on the issues faced by people with disabilities, especially in terms of obtaining the tools needed for them to work and maintain an independent lifestyle.

According to UKS Mobility, an international mobility equipment and healthcare products provider, over 45 mobile apps for the disabled have been designed.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/04/07/disabled-to-government-create-one-stop-centre-mobile-app-for-us/