The Importance Of Regular Maintenance

I took these two photos at Queensbay Mall recently. The photo above shows the ramp in front of the Central Zone. Due to poor maintenance (see the arrow pointing at the broken metal piece) the gap between the ramp and the driveway posts a problem to wheelchair users and mothers with prams. The photo below shows how a mother had to step on a paddle at the back of pram (see arrow) to overcome the gap. I am not sure if MPPP has authority to ask the mall management to do something about this gap. If yes, I hope MPPP can act as soon as possible.

From Bus Stop To Shopping Mall Entrance

I did this photo documentation in Nov 2013. It traced the route from a bus stop in front of Queensbay Mall to its southern entrance. I am not saying that this is the best example of a wheelchair access route. But comparing to many other places where there is no connecting route at all, it is still useful for many wheelchair users. This example shows the importance of continuous route for wheelchair users.

I could not find any step ramp / kerb ramp at the kerb. I am not sure if there should be one (I mean basing on the guidelines of Malaysian Standards). The problem with step ramp is motorcyclists tend to abuse it to go up to the kerb and drive on walkways. But it is necessary for wheelchair users when the bus could not park beside the kerb and the wheelchair users have to disembark on the road. They need step ramp to go up the kerb. (See above photos.)

The above are two photos of the ramp that connects the pavement to the motorway in front of the mall. This ramp is useful to wheelchair users who take bus but also the elderly. But I think the authority should make this ramp better by installing handrails at both sides. That cannot be too expensive and it will benefit a lot of people.

The above photos show how a wheelchair user can enter the mall by the long ramp beside the entrance (follow the yellow arrows). Unfortunately I forgot to take a good photo of the ramp. But if you go there, you will find the ramp to be quite adequate.

A Lesson For Planning Disabled Access

The above photos were taken at the northern entrance of Queensbay Mall. One can learn about the importance of planning from these photos. I give credit to the management of the building for providing a reasonably good ramp that leads to the entrance. But alas, they forgot to make a step ramp in the original design. So a temporary step ramp was made to allow wheelchair users to reach the front porch from the street.

The problem with this temporary fixture is that it has deteriorated with time. When I checked it during my visit on Nov 2, 2013, heavy wear and tear had caused the step ramp to misalign with the edge of the podium. (See above photo). A better approach is to provide a step ramp at the location suggested in the following photo.

There are two types of step ramps (see drawings below). Type A is actually not very good and often built as an addition to a forgotten plan.

I prefer type B, because it is less obstructive and takes up less space.

The moral of this story is that good planning is important for disabled access. If the management had planned for a step ramp in the original design, the temporary step ramp would not have been necessary.

Below is a short video about the correct way to build a type B step ramp. Click HERE.