Monday, October 18, 2010

No ramp at bank, so they have to wait outside for transactions




2010/10/17


The disabled wait outside the bank for its officers to attend to them. — Picture by Hazreen Mohamad
KEPONG

For the past two years, disabled workers on wheelchairs from Seri Kepong Baru have been doing their banking transactions outside the Persiaran Mergastua BSN branch here.

These people have to wait outside, come rain or shine, unlike the able-bodied customers who enjoy a conducive banking environment within the premises.



The bank has no ramp access, and as such wheelchair-bound customers cannot get inside.



This group of people are regular customers at the BSN branch as they have to withdraw their Disabled Workers Allowance (DWA) of RM300 banked into their account by the Social Welfare Department.


The DWA is an incentive introduced in 2008 by the government for disabled workers, registered with the department, earning RM750 or less a month. Its aim was to encourage the disabled to be more productive.



More than a hundred disabled workers have been suffering since the transaction is done outside the bank, where a bank officer goes back and forth to the counter inside to process their transactions, before the money is handed over under public scrutiny.



Handicraft maker Mehboob Sulaiman said she was not keen on having her transaction done in the open as it makes her a target for theft.



"I have no choice but to do my banking transactions outside as there are no ramps built for us. The ramps and hand-held bars will be useful not only for the disabled but old folks, too, who find using the staircase cumbersome," she said.

Trader A. Rajoo said that on one occasion, he and his wife were forced to leave the bank as there was no bank officer to help them.


Although Rajoo said he had asked a bank customer to get a bank officer to come outside, no one came.



"As it had started to rain, we had to go home," he said.



Damai Disabled Persons Association president V. Murugeswaran said the bank should consider installing disabled friendly facilities, and treat the disabled customers like any other.



"We had a similar problem with another bank but they took our plea seriously and made it possible for us to access the bank. We hope the same can be done here," he said.




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