Assistance on lifts

In its budget for 2006 the government stated that "a maximum of the 10 per cent on the purchase of a lift will be provided. A similar scheme currently managed by the Housing Authority is to be extended to cover private homes in which people with disabilities reside".

It is to be noted that financial assistance in such homes used to be provided by the Housing Authority through Scheme 7 prior to 2005. It was discontinued, leaving a number of disabled persons without assistance. For them, due to the nature of their disability, lifts/vertical hydraulic lifting platforms are the only means of access to different stories.

Lifts for use by disabled persons need to have extra features including increased dimensions to accommodate a person in a wheelchair and other items for ease of use, all of which add to the standard costs. Considering that expenses do not involve solely the lift equipment and that works involve the construction of a shaft and other building alterations costing in all well over Lm10,000, the 10 per cent subsidy is still a small sum that does not even cover the 18 per cent still due to the government in VAT!

Accessibility for all should be everywhere including especially in one's home. Society should do its part to shoulder part of the costs that need to be met in this regard especially by parents who have to foot such hefty extra costs due to numerous requirements by disabled children with mobility problems. High compulsory regular maintenance costs need to be incurred following installation.

It should be ensured that assistance is also provided for the installation of vertical lifting platforms for persons with mobility problems and not solely for lifts.

It would only be fair and reasonable to include these items as well as to consider assistance for lift installations carried out in 2005!