I injured my knee a few weeks ago, and found it very difficult and painful to walk.  Suddenly staircases, steps and ledges became my mortal enemies. Every step up and down was sheer agony.  So was getting in and out of my car.  In the end, I resigned myself to staying at home as much as I can until my legs got better and tried not to think of the joys contained in the world out there.   I was miserable.  But within a short time, I was up and about again.

My experience - brief though it was - made me realize how difficult it must be for the disabled and elderly folks in our midst to move around - especially the ones who love to travel.  I had a chat with two local travellers to get a better idea of how they feed their love for travel in spite of their disabilities.   

One is the Managing Director of a travel agency and the other is a passionate Inclusive Tourism advocate.  One was disabled when he was an infant while the other became disabled in his late teens.  Both feel that there is much more to be done to make the country accessible and that it is not an impossible feat.  Here is their tale:

For Peter, Travel Takes Courage

43-year old Peter Tan, a wheelchair user and avid traveller says that he just has to make do with whatever facilities made available in popular tourist destinations.  “We have been conditioned in such a way that we only visit places that we know are accessible. Nevertheless, I do take chances sometimes, and together with my wife Wuan, we venture off the beaten path,” said the Penangite blogger who became paraplegic after a swimming pool diving accident at the age of 18.

Their most memorable local vacation was their 3-day visit to Penang's Inner City and following the Heritage Trail. Like most disabled folks, Peter seldom travelled after his accident because it was such a hassle having to traverse over countless barriers.  It was only in 2004 that he picked up the courage to explore the Inner City of his beloved home state with Wuan.  “Truth be told, it would be next to impossible for a wheelchair user to visit the landmarks along the way without assistance. Despite that, it was a very memorable and enjoyable holiday for us,” he said wryly. 

The Tans planned to take a holiday in either Hong Kong or Australia this year where the built environment and public transport are more accessible.

“The one place that I would like to go back to is Tokyo and Japan. It was there that I learnt one can be on wheelchair and still move around conveniently if the infrastructure is built right. My two weeks there was like being in paradise. When I returned to Malaysia, it was like a culture shock. I could not move as freely as when I did in Tokyo.”  Thus began his passion to be an advocate for inclusive travel.

For Antony, Just Being There Is Good Enough

56-year old Antony Leopold has been stricken with polio since he was a year old.  Still the man has been to many parts of the world.  It’s all part and parcel of his job as a travel agent fuelled by his undying love for travel. 

He has been up the Batu Caves when they still had cable car service (now discontinued), Taj Mahal and Siam Reap, amongst many other places.  “I couldn’t walk up the Taj Mahal or the Siam Reap Angkor Wat’s ruins but being there was wonderful enough for me,” he said with a faraway look in his eyes.

The driver at Taj Mahal offered to carry him up the Taj Mahal but Antony declined, not wanting to be a burden to him.  This independence is a trait shared by most disabled folks.

“When we travel, we rather go on our own (with our caregivers) as we do not want to make the others wait for us or burden them in any way,” said the father of 3 children and a loving cheerful wife.

A creature of comfort when it comes to travel Antony doesn’t mind paying slightly more to get better accommodation and service.   “It is also for practical reasons as most five- and four-star hotels in major cities would have one or two disabled-friendly rooms with wider doors and useable ramps.”

Assisting Disabled Travellers

Antony started the Ace Altair Travels  in 2004 after working in the travel industry for more than a decade.  “I felt it was the only way to do something for disabled travellers.  Inclusive travel is a niche market and not many travel agencies are keen to tap into a market that may not be as lucrative as generic travel.”

Peter agrees, “The bottom line for travel agents in profit. If they can be convinced that there is a need and this is a profitable venture, I am sure they will jump into the bandwagon. This is a niche market that is relatively untapped in Malaysia and one that could prove to be profitable in view of the global aging population trend.”

As part of his contribution to his fellow disabled travellers, Antony plans to launch “Travel Assist” as a value added service that identifies accessible hotels, places of interest and attractions, and provide disable-friendly transportation and transfers, with trained personnel upon request.

Outfitting the “Travel Assist” project would be a rather costly affair.  A comfortable Vesta van equipped with wheelchair lift would cost a princely sum of about RM200k.  With the current economic downturn, the project may not be launched soon but Antony hopes to set it up as soon as it becomes possible.

Towards a Disabled-Friendly Malaysia

Compared to countries like Europe, US, Australia, Japan, Korea and Singapore; Malaysia still has a lot of room to grow in this department.  “We have beautiful beaches but without pathways skirting the area, a wheelchair bound person would be stuck in the sand trying to get to the beach,” said Antony.

Besides making the beach accessible to the disabled and elderly, the pathways can be a crowd puller and revenue generator for enterprising individuals.  If wheelchairs could glide over these walkways easily, so could baby prams, bicycles, roller blades and roller skates.  I still remember the thrill of whizzing on a pathway at an Australian beach on rented roller blades and bicycles with friends.  It would be divine to have such facilities in Malaysia that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Peter has a gripe about the Low Cost Carrier Terminals in the country, “There is a lack of aerobridges for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments to board the aircraft conveniently. How will disabled people board when it rains?”  In this vein, he applauds KLIA for being very accessible. “To date, I have no complaints yet regarding the facilities in KLIA except for some minor inconveniences like the sliding doors of the accessible toilets that are too tight and the lack of check-in counters with suitable height for wheelchair users.”

He believes that Malaysia will be all inclusive and accessible one day, “Disability-rights advocates have to push harder. The government too needs to fulfil its role as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by ratifying the documents and implementing policies as prescribed by the convention.  There should be a budget to create an inclusive infrastructure.”

A Promising Start

Not all is doom and gloom though. 

Just last month, a Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) committee that Anthony belongs to launched the first of a total of 149 disabled-friendly parking bays in Petaling Jaya.  These parking bays are protected from the rain and sun – essential for the handicapped who need more time to get in and out of their cars.

Our modern shopping centres are also disabled-friendly.  Peter’s favourite haunts are 1 Utama, Ikano Power Centre, The Curve and the Gardens at Mid Valley City.   “The Gardens have ample parking and spacious toilets for disabled people.  The only drawback is the ramp from the parking space in Level P2 to the elevator. This is dangerous because there is a 1-inch drop at the edge of the ramp that may cause a wheelchair to tip backwards when going up.”  Of the five shopping complexes, he would rate Ikano as the most accessible.

“Gurney Drive and part of Beach Street and Penang Road are accessible too but more can be done to improve on that as Penang is a popular tourist destination,” Peter continued.

As for our local attractions, Antony excitedly pointed out several national treasures that are accessible namely, the National Monument, National Museum and the National Zoo.  “The National Zoo has undergone an amazing transformation since I last visited it.  It is completely accessible with walkways, ramps and disabled-friendly toilets,” he smiled. 

“There are also hotels providing wheelchair-friendly ramps and rooms around Malaysia,” said Antony who personally visits these places to verify that they are indeed accessible.

Those who would like to find out accessible and inclusive accommodations and places of attraction in Malaysia can contact the friendly and warm-hearted Antony at Ace Altair Travels Sdn Bhd, Suite 1.12, 1st floor, The AmpWalk, 218, Jalan Ampang, KL; Tel:  03-2166 3755/ 4755.

 * Photo credits: Peter Tan's photo courtesy of Peter Tan