Friday, January 30, 2009

Access For Persons With Disabilities at Prangin Mall Shopping Complex,Georgetown,Penang



This is the paths which is outside the mall. This paths are very useful for persons with disabilities if they wish to do shopping at Prangin Mall. The condition of the available paths is not easy to use,I guess. This is because the paths also not providing the handrails along the paths. It is difficult for person with disabilities to walk along the paths. The ramp or landing area also not provide at the centre of the paths. It is important to provide the ramp so that person with disabilities can rest for a while before they continue to move. I think that the surface of the paths is a bit slippery.





The first three picture above are the lifts which is situated at the back mall while the other pictures are the lifts which is situated inside the mall. The lift at the back mall has a big space while the lift inside the mall has a small space. The lift inside the mall which has a small space can only accommodating by one wheelchair and only 3 or 4 people can enter to the lift. They have to compete with the other person to use the lift and also have a problem to press the lift button because the button is too high. Both of lifts are look not very friendly. This is because the condition of the lifts are not providing the handrails especially the lift at the back mall. I think that the lift is suitable for the shop owner to loading their equipments or goods and also use by the workers to bring the garbages to the downstairs. Thera are also pieces of rubbish spreads and the liquids sticky on the lift's floor and cause a smell inside the lift. It is look not comfortable and dirty for persons with disabilities. Is it fair that if persons with disabilities use the lifts which is dirty, less accessibility and not comfortable? We, as a normal person also don't want to use that kind of uncomfortable accessibility, am I right?



The toilet? Hmm..I think that it is not suitable for persons with disabilities. The reason is the condition in the toilet is looks ordinary or not showing that is the accessibility for person with disabilities. There are no handrail on the wall that persons with disabilities use to move or transfer to the toilet. The toilet roll dispenser and the sink also not provided in the toilet. That accessibility only provide outside the toilet. I think that they need to use the sink and they have to compete with the other persons in the toilet. Sometimes, the toilet are full with people. It is difficult to them,right? =)



This paths like the escalator and the ladder are not suitable for persons with disabilities. These paths also are not safety for persons with disabilities because the condition of the escalator is moving faster and the ladder is too steepest or sometimes the ladder's surface is slippery. It is dangerous and difficult for them to move and they need a long time to walking inside the mall. But i think that persons with disabilities never use this kind of path and I hope so. If you guys see any persons with disabilities try to use this kind of path, please help and show them the suitable path for use.... =)







































































































3 comments:

  1. yup.. i think it is such a shame that they only provide semi-complete facilities to people with diabilities.. The lift is to small for people, let alone for wheelchairs.. Maybe they didn't think OKU need to go shopping too.. Looks like they (d OKU) can only shop groundstairs.. *sigh*

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  2. It is good if you can bring a wheelchair to there and one of you try to move around with wheelchair without help. See what problem that you encountered along the way. I'm not sure its the ramp is gentle enough for wheelchair user to wheel up without help. I'm not going there since I went through the training. If I'm not mistaken, the accessibility at there is not good.

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  3. wow, nice blog...but what i can see, there's not enough if complex management "building owner" only providing the path for them...what i can say maybe u can look for local authority maybe they can involve besides of "building owner" provides all kind of these thing...but i can sure that, local authority can monitoring them or they can recommend the parking space for these people with " i mean for those disable people that have own car/vehicles....park their car not at multi-storey parking but just in front of building...we can call it "easy access" or drop zone....
    i think , thats all my comment..maybe you can add up some kind of regulations/conditions by local authority to the building owner before they approve for the building plan.
    .....Nice work and good luck....

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