2.2.

1 Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 (Act 685)

Person with Disabilities Act 2008 has been enacted by Malaysia on January 24,
2008 and came into force on July 7, 2008. Person with Disabilities Act 2008 promote the
rights recognition and opportunities equalization for PWD in all aspects of life. It also
provided the registration, protection, rehabilitation, development and wellbeing of PWD,
and also the establishment of National Council for PWD.

Acccessibility for PWD is included in Chapter I, Part IV of the Act. The contents
of the chapter is as shown in Table 2.2 (Attorney’s General Chamber of Malaysia, 2016):

Table 2.2: Contents in Chapter I, Part IV in Person with Disabilities Act 2008
Source: Attorney’s General Chamber of Malaysia

Section Subsection and Contents

Section 26: (1) PWD has the right to access and use public buildings,
Access to public buildings, facilities, amenities, services and buildings with an
facilities, amenities, equal basis as the person without disabilities.
services and buildings (2) The government and providers should consider and
take necessary measure to improve their equipments to
facilitate PWD access and use.

Section 27: (1) PWD has the right to acess and use public transport
Access to public transport facilities, amenities and services open or provided to
facilities public with an equal basis as person without
disabilities.
(2) The government and providers should consider and
take necessary measure to improve their equipments to
facilitate PWD access and use.

Section 28:
Access to education (1) PWD shall not be excluded from general education
system including preschool, primary, secondary,
higher education, vocational training and lifelong
learning with an equal basis as person without
disabilities.
(2) The Government and private educational providers
shall provide accommodation suitable for PWD in
terms of infrastructure, equipment, teaching materials,
teaching methods, curricula and other forms of support.
(3) The Government and private educational providers
should take appropriate measures to enable PWD to
learn life and social development skills including
Braille, Malaysia Sign Language, and appropriate
languange.

Section 29: (1) PWD has the right to access employement with an
Access to employment equal basis as person without disabilities.
(2) The employer shall protect PWD rights to more
favourable work conditions including equal
opportunities, work payment and safe working
conditions.
(3) The employer shall provide stable employment for
PWD by accessing their abilities, suitable places and
proper management.
(4) The Council shall promote employement of PWD in
private sector, implement suitable policies which
include affirmative action programmes and others.
(5) The Council shall promote training opportunities for
PWD in labor market, self employment,
entrepreneurship, start their own business and working
from home.
Section 30: (1) Person with disabilities shall have the right to access
Access to information, information, communication and technology on an
communication and equal basis as people without disabilities.
technology (ICT) (2) The Government and ICT provider shall enable PWD
to access and give information in an accesible format
for PWD admist their categories of disabilities without
any additional charge.
(3) The Government and private sectors shall accept and
facilitate the use of Malaysian Sign Languange, Braille,
alternative and additional communication, and all other
kinds of modes that be access by PWD in official
matter.

Section 31:
Access to cultural life
(1) PWD has the right to access to cultural life on an equal
basis as person without disabilities.
(2) PWD shall have the right to access cultural materials,
television programmes, films, theatres, places for
cultural performances or services such as libraries,
monuments and sites of national cultural.
(3) The Council shall take appropriate measures to enable
PWD to grow their creative potential for their own
benefits and society enrichments.
(4) PWD shall be allowed to get recognition and support
of their specific cultural and linguistic identity,
including Malaysia Sign Languange and deaf culture.

Section 32 (1) PWD shall have the right to participate in recreational,

Access to recreation, leisure and sport activities on an equal basis as person
leisure and sport without disabilities, but subject to their safety.
(2) The Council shall take appropriate measures to
encourage PWD in mainstream sport activities,
organised spot activities with appropriate instructions
and training, enable the access of PWD in sport and
 recreational venues, and ensure that children with
disabilties have equal access as children without
disabilities in leisure and sport activities including at
school, and enable PWD to access services from those
who involved in recreational and sport organization.

2.2.2 MS 1184: 2014 – Universal Design and Accessibility in the Built Environment
Code of Practice (Second Revision)

This Malaysian Standard is implemented to replace the recent MS 1184: 2002 -

Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Person to Public Buildings (First Revision) and
MS 1331:2003 - Code of Practice for Access of Disabled Persons Outside Buildings (First
Revision). This Malaysian Standard included the general design specification of buildings
and related facilities for PWD. The design element covered in MS 1184: 2014 are as follows
(Standards Malaysia, 2014):

 Approach to the buildings  Vertical and inclined lifting

 Designated accessible parking platforms
space  Escalators and moving walks
 Paths to the buildings  Doors and windows
 Ramps  Reception areas, counters, desks
 Guarding along paths and ramps and ticket offices
 Building entrances and final fire  Auditorium, concert halls, sport
exits arenas, theaters and similar
 Horizontal circulation seating
 Vertical circulation  Conference rooms and meeting
 Stairs rooms

 Handrails  Viewing spaces in assembly areas

 Lifts  Kiosks, food courts, restaurants

and etc.
 Terraces, verandas and balconies  Fire emergency warning systems,
 Toilet signals and information
 Accessible bedrooms in non-  Visual contrast
residential buildings  Equipment, controls and switches
 Kitchen areas  Furnishing
 Storage areas  Fire safety, protection and
 Floor and wall surfaces evacuation for all
 Acoustic environment  Orientation and information
 Lighting  Signage
 Graphical symbol