Society of Independent Living Selangor
Of Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled
Report & Activities 2009

A. ACTIVITIES

1. Hospital & Home Visitation & Peer Counseling

(Name) (Disabilities) (Caused) (Peer Counselor)
(A) Amputee Industrial Accident Hee Yong Wah
(B) Spinal Injury Industrial Accident Hee Yong Wah
(C) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Hee Yong Wah
(D) Cerebral Palsy — Seow Boon Chan
(E) Spinal Injury Industrial Accident Hee Yong Wah
(F) Cerebral Palsy — Chan Meng Lai
(G) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Hee Yong Wah
(H) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Seow Boon Chan
(I) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Hee Yong Wah
(J) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Hee Yong Wah
(K) Spinal Injury Traffic Accident Thomas Yeoh

2. Attending Meetings
May 19: LIFT LAUNCHING CEREMONY in Subang Jaya KTM Commuter train station. KTM Commuter train is upgrading all of their stations to make it disabled friendly.
Nov 26: Petaling Jaya City Council Technical Working Committee Meeting
Dec 19: Malaysia Council for Rehabilitation “Disabilities Issues Workshop”

3. Volunteer training
April 19: organised Telematch with disabled for volunteers
May 1-3: organised Be Angel Campaign : Volunteer Training Camp

4. Received Visitors
Feb 25: Visitation from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) senior representative in Malaysia, Mr. Katsuo Matsumoto.
Aug 21: Visitation from students of Help University College
Aug 24: Students from Department of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan

5. IL Seminars, Workshops, Advocacy event
Feb 28: giving talk on IL for staffs from CBR centre of Social Welfare Department.
March 30: organised IL seminar for PWDs in Kuching, Sarawak = 22persons
April 4: organized IL seminar for PWDs in Sibu, Sarawak = 31 persons
September 17: Conduct Access Audit for building of Menara Sunway
October 29: organized “One Malaysia” Convoy by Disabled Press Conference & soft launch, officiated by YB Chew Mei Fun, Deputy Minister of Woman, Family and Social Development.
December 6: organized event “One Malaysia–Convoy by Disabled from Times Square to KLCC”, to highlight the needs of friendly environment and transport. A total of 380 disabled people and volunteers took part. The event flag off by Director General of Welfare Department Dato” Meme Rashid, and closing ceremony officiated by YB Heng Seai Kie, Deputy Minister of Information, Communication and Arts.
(Reported in Malay Mail

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/21005-enabled-disabled)

6. Outdoor Activities
Purpose: to build up self confidence of trainees.
27/6/2009 Visit to KL Tower & KLCC Skybridge
26/7/2009 Visit to KL Birds Park
29/8/2009 Visit KLCC Aquaria
21/9/2009 A day trip to Seremban
26/9/2009 KL LANTERN FESTIVAL 2009
24/10/2009 Mini sport for OKU 2009, sponsored by Ministry of Youth & Sport

7. Fund Raising Activities
August 3-15: organised Project Ryders Cycling For Charity from KL to Langkawi, jointly organized with students from Help University, raised RM 4120
it was highlighted in http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/6/education/4649877&sec=education

B. INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM
Received Funding of RM 14,000 from Welfare Department to run IL Program.
Details of Trainers:
(No) (Name) (Gender) (Disabilities)
1 Hee Yong Wah Male Quadriplegic
2 Seow Boon Chan Male Quadriplegic
3 Yeoh Kee Soon Male Muscular Dystrophy
4 Chan Ming Lai Male Cerebral Palsy

Result of trainees group I:
Class: Every Wednesday, 2pm-4pm
Topic:
1. Identity Establishment
2. Goal Setting
3. Family Relationship & relationship in working place
4. Cooking & Marketing

Result of trainees group II :
Class: Every Thursday, 10am-12pm
Topic:
1. Identity Establishment
2. Family Relationship & relationship in working place
3. Cooking & Marketing
4. Social Integration & Information

Report & Activities Jan-May 2009
Society of Independent Living Selangor
Of Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled

A. Activities
1. Hospital Visitation & Peer Counseling

Date Name Disabilities Caused
25/03/09 L Amputee Industrial Accident
15/04/09 S Spinal Injury Industrial Accident
13/05/09 M Spinal Injury Traffic Accident

2. Attending Meetings & Activities
19/5/09 KTM train LIFT LAUNCHING in Subang station

3. Volunteer training
April 19th telematch with disabled
May 1-3 VOLUNTEER TRAINING

4. Receive Visitor
25/2/2009 JICA

5. Organised IL Seminars and Workshops
Feb 28 invited by Welfare Department to talk on IL for staffs from CBR
centre March 30, organised IL seminar for PWDs in kuching = 22persons
April 4th, organized IL seminar for PWDs in sibu = 31 persons
August10-13th, will organised Peer Counseling workshop in Beautiful Gate
Seremban Centre, still looking for funding

B. Weekly Independent Living Program
Received Funding of RM 14,000 (382,363.06 JPY) from Welfare Department to
run IL Program. Details of Trainers: No Name Gender
Disabilities 1 Hee Yong Wah Male Quadriplegic 2 Seow
Boon Chan Male Quadriplegic 3 Yeoh Kee Soon Male
Muscular Dystrophy 4 Chan Ming Lai Male Cerebral Palsy

Details of trainees group I : Every Tuesday, 2pm-4pm
No Name Gender Disabilities
1 T.Y Male Quadriplegic
2 A.P Male Cerebral Palsy
3 L.E Female Unknown
4 L.H Female Polio
5 N.K Female Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Details of trainees group II : Every Wednesday, 10am-12pm
No Name Gender Disabilities
1 O.S Male Spinal
2 L.S Female Spinocerebellar Atrophy
3 B.P Male Spinal
4 N.K Female Spinal Muscular Atrophy
5 T.L Female Cerebral Palsy
6 P.Y Female Cerebral Palsy
7 T.N Male Cerebral Palsy

In order to implement IL more effectively and get the involvement of government, we registered our IL activities & program with Rigistrar of Society as a separate organization, name as Society of Independent Living For The Disabled Selangor. The registration was approved by government in February 2008.

We rent a house to set up IL centre in month of April 2008, and done some minor renovation and preparation in the month of May. We plan a series of weekly training program on IL Program and PC Program and submitted to welfare department. Government verbally agree to grant us with grant for us to run the two program. We will start the weekly program in the month of July.

http://www.ilselangor.blogspot.com/

The government is now setting up a task force to look into how to set up more IL centres next year, and to study on how to give status recognition to qualified Peer Counselor.

Sia Siew Chin
Beautiful Gate Foundation

January 3
Hospital Visitation
In University Hospital, Spinal injury due to road accident last November
She is now taking a rehabilitation program in the hospital to strengthen her arm, and for daily activities training. Follow up by Ivy Pua, peer counselor of Beautiful Gate via providing peer counseling.

January 7-31
Collaborate with TV station (NTV7)
To create awareness on ability of disabled persons and independent living of PWDs in Malaysia / To change public’s mind set towards PWDs from receiver to contributor.

January 1 – February 14
Promote Chinese New Year & Valentine Hamper Project
Create Job opportunity to assist PWDs moving towards economic independent

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/1/14/central/19961634&sec=central

February 15
Received call from Registrar of Society said that certificate of “Society of Independent For The Disabled Selangor” is ready for collection. Committee member of IL Selangor consists of 7 persons, 100% PWDs.Plan to rent a house to be used as IL Centre selangor.
From now onward Society of IL Selangor become a wing of BGF to implement IL.

November 5
Home visitation to Taiping (northern part of Malaysia)
Visit a spinal injury person. Bed ridden for 5 years.
Action taken: brought him to Hospital in KL for his health problem and attended a rehabilitation course to strengthen his arm, and for daily activities training. He is now still in hospital for his diabetic treatment. Follow up by Hee Yong Wah via providing peer counseling.

November 7
Meeting with Residents Association in SS2 in order to get their support in providing a friendly environment for PWDs to live independently in the community of SS2.
Sia Siew Chin was elected as committee member of Residents Association of SS2, become medium between SS2 Residents Association and PWDs in SS2.

November 17
Jointly organized parade by PWDs at Muar together with Society of Love Independent Living for PWDs Muar. About 50 PWDs take part. Submitted memorandum to State Assembly Man of Muar.

November 23
Produce DVD about story of a PWD who live independently.
This DVD will be distributed to hospital to encourage those newly disabled persons.

December 3
Radio broadcast about International Day of PWDs.
It is an hour program. I mentioned about obstacles that prevented PWDs to live an independent life and appeal public & government to eliminate the obstacles.

December 6, 13, 20, 27
Weekly IL program
3pm-5pm, 9 pwds attended.

Organised by: Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled
Sponsored by: Toyota Foundation Grant

Date: October 22-25, 2007
Time: 09.30am-4.00pm
Venue: Beautiful Gate Foundation Klang Centre

Objectives:
1. To introduce concept of Independent Living & Peer Counseling to disabled staffs and trainees of Beautiful Gate Centres.
2. To equip leaders of Beautiful Gate Centres and trainees with skill of Peer Counseling.
3. To prepare all disabled staff to implement Independent Living program in Beautiful Gate Centres
4. To equip trainees for them to introduce concept of independent living to their community.

Programme:

Date & Time Topics Resource Person
Day 1
09:30-09:40 Welcoming Speech & Situation of Persons With Disabilities in Malaysia Siew Chin
09:40-09:50 Opening Remark Kenji Kuno
09:50-10:00 Opening Speech by VIP Dato Song Kee Chai
10:00-10:30 Refreshment & Press Conference
10:30-11:00 Ice Breaking / Good & New Ming Lai
11:00-12:30 History & Concepts of Independent Living Movement Hee
12:30-01:30 Lunch
01:30-02:30 What Is Peer-Counseling 1 (History, Purpose & Methods) Thomas & Seow
02:30-03:00 What I have learned today? Fiona
Day 2
09:30-10:00 Good & New Fiona
10:00-11:00 What Is Peer-Counseling 2 (Agreement: Role of Counselor & Client) Seow & Ming Lai
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:15 What Is Peer-Counseling 3 (Human Nature) Ming Lai & Seow
12:15-01:30 Lunch
01:30-02:30 What Is Peer-Counseling 4 (Discharge Emotion & Role-Playing) Hee & Siew Chin
02:30-03:00 What I have learned today? Wan Zhi
Day 3
09:30-10:00 Good & New Wan Zhi
10:00-11:00 What Is Peer-Counseling 5 (What is Disabilities?) Hee
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:15 What Is Peer-Counseling 6 (Pattern & Intervention) Siew Chin & Ming Lai
12:15-01:30 Lunch
01:30-02:30 What Is Peer-Counseling 7 (Support Group) Thomas & Seow
02:30-03:00 What I have learned today? Ming Lai
Day 4
09:30-10:00 Good & New Ming Lai
10:00-11:00 What is Independent Living Program? Siew Chin & Hee
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:15 Role-Playing Seow
12:15-01:30 Lunch
01:30-02:30 Appreciation Thomas
02:30-03:00 Conclusion & What I have learned in this workshop? Siew Chin & Hee
03:30-04:00 Closing Ceremony

Working Committee:

Advisor : Kenji Kuno, Sia Siew Chin
Organising Chairman : Hee Yong Wah
Secretary : Thomas Yeoh Kee Soon
Treasurer : Low Mee Li
Committee Members : Seow Boon Chan, Chan Ming Lai, Lee Yew Hoe, Ow Wai Seng

Participants:

Resourse Person: 5
Hee Yong Wah, Seow Boon Chan, Sia Siew Chin, Thomas Yeoh Kee Soon, Chan Ming Lai

Refresher: 2
New Trainees: 13

Comments by Organising Chairman:
New trainees are very impress with the concept of Independent Living and Peer Counseling. They are very keen to know more about it. They asked for further training in order for them to start Independent Living Program and Peer Counseling services in other Beautiful Gate centres. For those trainees who are not BGF staffs, they show their interest in take part in Independent living Program help in Petaling Jaya Centre in November.

The Kuala Lumpur Independent Living Centre was officially established on September 15, 2007. The centre’s first client was Mr. Yap Kim Soon, 23, spinal cord injury C5/C6 since 2004. He stays at Selayang with his family. Selayang is 30km north of Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

Kim Soon and I have been communicating through Yahoo IM for a few months already. During the first visit to his home on September 15, 2007, I share with him about the concepts of IL and how it is being practiced in Japan. I also brought 2 videos on IL to show him.

On my second visit in September 23, 2007, I introduced ILP and PC to him. I also gave him a copy of the ILP Manual in Chinese. Kim Soon seems very receptive to the idea of IL and asked many questions.

Within this reporting period, I have also spoken to two other persons with spinal cord injury regarding IL. The response was not good as they do not seem very keen in knowing more on IL. At the same time, I have contacted a friend of a person who has severe disability caused by spinal cord injury. The said person is currently on a ventilator to assist his breathing. He is 58 years old, had an accident 7 years ago. We are both alumni from the same high school. No appointment has been set to meet him yet.

I thought to myself, “Here is a very brave man who is doing great things, not only for his peers with disabilities but also for his nation.”

Therefore, there was a great reluctance in my heart to accept that this great person has left us so soon and so suddenly. There is still so much that he can do to contribute to the disability movement in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific. There is still so much that we can learn from him. He was a free spirit and very charismatic. He never let his disability stop him from living life to the fullest. His demise has left a gaping void in the disability movement that will be difficult to fill.

Rest in peace Topong.

We shall carry on the advocacy on equality for disabled persons from where you left off.

Peter Tan
Malaysia