By DHARMENDER SINGH
Sia (left) speaking Ong after presenting the latter with a souvenir.
THE corporate sector has been asked to strongly support non-profit organisations that hold programmes to empower the disabled to lead independent lives.
SP Setia Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said with the help from corporate sector programmes, it would be easier for them to get jobs to provide much needed relieve.
He said the disabled need training especially in areas such as computer, which had become a norm in all work places but many lack the skills and as such faced problems getting hired.
Lee said the disabled often have the drive and eagerness to learn but could not find enough opportunity to do so or sharpen such skills and thus missed out on the chance to be gainfully employed.
Lee, who is also a social activist, was speaking to reporters after handing over a mock cheque of RM32,000 on behalf of SP Setia Foundation to the Beautiful Gate for the Disabled Foundation in Petaling Jaya, recently.
The money is for Beautiful Gate to buy 10 new computers and a printer.
Also present during the function were Datin Seri Wendy Ong (wife of Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting), Datin Seri How Teng Teng (wife of SP Setia group managing director Datuk Seri Liew Kee Sin), Beautiful Gate for the Disabled Foundation executive director Sia Siew Chin and SP Setia Foundation management committee member Capt (R) Liew Siong Sing.
Ong commended SP Setia Foundation's effort and it was Ong who had highlighted the needs of the home to the foundation after having met with Sia at a charity dinner function.
(Standing from left) How, Ong and Lee look on as the two members of Beautiful Gate check out the new computers.
“I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the foundation had visited the home to find out their needs in a short while after I mentioned their plight,’’ she said.
Ong said apart from providing training to the disabled, the home also actively advocate the recycling programme that is being promoted by the Housing and Local Ministry by getting the disabled involved.
Sia said the new computers will not only allow the home to replace its old computers but also provide training to more people than before.
“We have 25 registered participants due to the limited computers before this but with the additional computers we can have classes for 50 participants,’’ she said.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/10/central/13588150&sec=central
By CHRISTINA TAN
newsdesk@thestar.com.myMALACCA: Good news for the disabled. Beautiful Gate Foundation is giving away 10 wheelchairs to those who could not afford to buy their own.
Foundation executive director Sia Siew Chin said applications for the wheelchairs has been opened for people in Malacca and Johor.
“The wheelchairs are donated by individuals to the foundation and I hope those who need them will contact us,” she said after announcing the opening of the foundation’s new centre for disabled people in southern region.
This was the fifth centre after Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Kepong (Kuala Lumpur), Kampar (Perak) and Seremban (Negri Sembilan).
Sia (centre) chatting with members from Petaling Jaya at the newly open centre for the disabled in Batu Berendam.
Earlier, Sia said she had received numerous calls from people in Malacca and Johor who were interested in the training provided by the foundation.
“We set up this centre eventually after two years of planning and we are open for registration for the disabled now,” said Sia.
The new centre is located in a single-storey corner house with three bedrooms in Taman Merdeka Jaya, Batu Berendam.
It can house eight people and accommodate about 30 people for daytime training programmes, she said.
Sia said the foundation spent RM12,500 to renovate the house, which was rent free.
The foundation also appealed for public donation for electrical items and furniture to operate the centre, she said, adding that items needed including refrigerator, washing machine, television, ceiling fans, wall exhaust fans, wall fans, microwave, rice cooker, slow cooker, single bed mattresses, computers, office equipment, chairs and tables.
Apart from training on surviving skills and self-development skills, Sia said the foundation planned to have computer classes for the disabled here.
She added that the foundation was also looking for full-time worker and volunteers for the new centre.
For donation, contact Willie Wong at 013-342 1071, the application for wheelchairs and training programmes call the centre at 06-282 7845.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/9/southneast/13586476&sec=southneast
电脑赠送移交仪式
美门残障关怀基金会一直积极为残障人士推动教育及培训计划，提供专业课程，鼓励他们装备自己以开拓更美好的将来。3月6日有幸获得实达基金会（SP SETIA FOUNDATION）捐赠10部高性能电脑，为残障学员提供更完善的学习设备。出席当天的电脑移交仪式的有实达基金会主席丹斯里李霖泰、房屋与地方政府部长夫人拿汀斯里张秀梅及拿汀侯婷婷等。
A computer handover ceremony was held at Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled on 6th March for 10 units of computer which were donated by SP Setia Foundation. With this new equipment Beautiful Gate will be able to provide a more pleasant learning environment for the disabled students in line with the aim & purpose of the Organization.
元宵残障关怀晚会
一年之计在于春，新春为人们带来新气息、新希望。在这个华人传统农历新年期间，雪隆一带的残障朋友在美门残障关怀基金会的鼓励下，自组工作队举办一项共有两百多位残障人士出席的《元宵残障关怀晚会》。当天除了欢庆佳节，促进残障同胞的联系之外，也捐赠一辆电动轮椅给重度残障的朋友，让他们也能过自立的生活。
The joy and hope of Chinese New Year was celebrated under the effort of the CNY celebration Organizing Committee. About 200 disabled in Klang Valley participated. This celebration promoted closer relationship among the disabled and a motorized wheelchair was donated to help a severely disabled people to enable him to experience independent living.
SS2街頭嘉年華揭幕（八打靈再也訊）SS2愛心關懷春節街頭嘉年華會一系列活動週日揭開序幕，SS2／62路洋溢濃厚的農曆新年氣氛。
這個由SS2愛心關懷行動小組舉辦，美門殘障關懷基金會和馬來西亞藝術家協會協辦的街頭嘉年華會週日以街頭揮春比賽打響首炮，同時也邀請了舞獅隊伍助陣，圍觀人數眾多，人潮洶湧。
24人參加街頭揮春
參加街頭揮春的總人數有24名，其中以公開組佔大多數，有超過10名的參賽者。在此次比賽中，也發現母女檔上陣，踴躍響應新春活動。
馬華百樂鎮州議員拿督林春景出席活動時表示，這個由16個團體組成的愛心關懷行動小組主要是為了提倡關懷而舉辦了一系列的活動。
他表示，除了週日的街頭揮春比賽之外，在接下來的日子裡，也將有不同的節目，其中也包括派送紅包的活動。
市會發出71張臨時執照
他指出，市議會共發出71張臨時執照給擺賣的小販，其中有5個攤位由美門殘障關懷中心售賣他們的產品。
“今日的反應熱烈，通過這些新春活動吸引公眾的到來，其餘小販也能夠從中獲益。”
他提到，舉辦這類活動，除了能夠提倡關懷之外，同時也能夠增加農曆新年的氣氛。
林春景也說，市議會已經完成了基本設施的提昇工作，塑造一個無障礙的空間，讓殘障人士也能夠參與活動。 （星洲日報／大都會．2006/01/15）
林春景（右3）參觀美門殘障關懷中心的售賣攤位。
舞獅吸引了許多公眾圍觀，藉此感染新年氣氛。
摘自：http://www.sinchew-i.com/article.phtml?artid=200601150387&data=scnews&spid=184737
By SUSAN TAM
susantam@thestar.com.mySOME 300 people attended the “Care and Share – Health Services for the Needy” on Saturday to take advantage of the free medical tests provided at the event.
Most of those who attended were from the disabled community, underprivileged children and senior citizens.
The event, held at the KDU College in Petaling Jaya, was organised by several NGOs including the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled, Rumah Hope and the Welfare and Social Development Council of Petaling Jaya Northern District.
Free services offered included medical tests such as blood and eye tests, ECGs, blood pressure examinations, acupuncture treatment and even haircuts.
A nurse checking a visitor’s blood pressure.
The event is the second to be organised by the council and it was aimed at creating a caring society in the northern district of Petaling Jaya.
Other than free medical tests, a booth was set up by the Welfare Department of Petaling Jaya to provide information for the disabled community on how to obtain assistance from the department.
In her speech at the opening ceremony, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the disabled must take care of their health and prevent themselves from falling ill.
Organising committee chairman Sia Siew Chin said the “weaker” group needed to work hard for a living and had no time to learn about taking care of their own health to prevent illnesses.
“Today's event has given them the chance to understand their health and to take early preventive measures,” she said, adding that the continuous support from the public was vital to help the less privileged.
Other sponsors for the event included KDU College, England Optical Group, Princess Shoes and Bags, Ming Unisex Hair and Beauty Salon, BLS Production, BP Clinical Lab and Idea House Corporation.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/13/central/13062025&sec=central
甲洞人行道設施提昇（吉隆坡訊）聯邦直轄區政務次長姚長祿表示，他已指示市政局公共工程組提昇并改善甲洞花園美加斯圖阿路（Jln Mergastua）至甲洞電動火車站的人行道設施。
他說，整段道路全長3公里，公共工程組將把人行道的階級改為小斜坡，以方便殘障人士。
“另外在甲洞衛星市美門殘障康復中心前，有段200公尺左右的道路；以及美加斯圖阿路轉進巴拉巴斯路（Jln Belapas），一段長約500公尺路段，都沒有人行道。”
應安置行人交通燈
他表示，市政局公共工程組官員也將提升有關道路的人行道設施；同時也將要求直轄區的交通局安置殘障人士出沒的告示牌及行人交通燈，以提醒駕駛人士放慢車速，及方便殘障人士過馬路。
他補充，市政局公共工程組將在這兩個星期內開始動工，預料工程將在動工後的一個月內完成。
姚長祿週五早上攜帶市政局公共工程組官員許吉興前往視察有關地點後表示，一直以來政府都希望在國家的整體發展上，不忽略殘障人士的需要。
他說，該部及市政局將不斷合作，以提昇並改造現有的無障礙設施，以惠及殘障人士及公眾。
他指出，有許多殘障人士在甲洞地區居住及出沒，以方便前往美門中心接受訓練；因此無障礙設施對該區來說非常重要的。
“該區目前是有這樣的設施，但並不完善，所以需要的是改善並提昇。”
“不只是甲洞，在聯邦直轄區內只要哪裡有需要到的，我們一定會關注。”
殘障者和平請願獲關注
來自雪隆及外州各地的約130名乘著輪椅的殘障人士，在上週一展開大規模的和平請願行動，申訴現有的路旁行人道及電動火車站斜坡走道，在設計上忽略或不符合他們需求的不滿心聲。
他們一行人是從甲洞衛星市美門殘障康復中心出發，遊行3公里至甲洞花園電動火車站。
姚長祿也出席了當天的遊行。並在週五為該區居民及殘障人士捎來這項喜訊。
謝秀貞：惠及幼老殘弱
應關注隆市無障礙設施
另一方面，美門殘障關懷基金會總干事謝秀貞表示，希望除了甲洞以外，當局也應關注吉隆坡一帶的無障礙設施發展。
“無障礙設施惠及的不只是殘障人士，甚至是老人、孕婦還有小孩。”
她透露，目前許多地方的並沒有設立人行道，更沒有行人交通燈；許多商店的階級更讓殘障人士不方便使用。
“無障礙設施是很重要的，這樣殘障人士才能自立，才能建立信心。” （星洲日報／大都會．2006/01/06）
若沒有旁人的協助，殘障人士無法自行上下階級。
姚長祿（右）協助謝秀貞（中）將輪椅推上階級。
摘自：http://www.sinchew-i.com/article.phtml?artid=200601060475&data=scnews&spid=184737
Sia (left) speaking Ong after presenting the latter with a souvenir.
(Standing from left) How, Ong and Lee look on as the two members of Beautiful Gate check out the new computers.
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