LIFE+STYLE | With an ageing society, senior citizens will need easier and safer access to buildings, open spaces
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PETALING JAYA: According to the Statistics Department, our society is ageing fast, with 2.3 million of 32 million people reaching 65 years or older this year, hence infrastructure in the country needs to be revised to ensure easy access and safety for the elderly.
According to Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), some 15% or up to five million Malaysians will be 65 years or older by 2050 .
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Memento Maxima Digital MarketingAs it is, most of the schools, malls, government buildings and other public facilities are not designed to accommodate the differently abled, with wheelchair ramps being too high and older buildings having no toilets for them, apart from other difficulties.
In response to the situation, UCSI University School of Architecture and Built Environment lecturer Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi called for existing building standards to be more “elderly friendly”.
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“Urban planners and architects have been designing and constructing buildings without considering the elderly community and only applied the minimum requirements to urban planning. The poor design of housing structures in Malaysia affects senior citizens more than other public spaces such as hospitals and houses of worship, which are visited less frequently by them. So, the primary focus of architects and planners should be on housing.”
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Mohd Tajuddin said sections 26 and 27 of the Persons with Disabilities Act state that all public facilities, including amenities, services, buildings and transport systems should have proper access for the differently abled, which also applies to senior citizens who have mobility issues.
“But unfortunately, even newer public buildings and facilities fail to provide these. The problem lies with the adherence to the by-laws by developers and enforcement by the authorities, which just apply the minimum requirements. If you ask me, I think our infrastructure is not friendly to senior citizens or even to those who are differently abled,” he told theSun.
Mohd Tajuddin said as far as the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL) are concerned, three to four-storey low-cost, walk-up housing that has no lifts installed is considered non-elderly friendly, although it is not illegal to build such dwellings.
“By-law 124 of the UBBL states that for all non-residential buildings exceeding four storeys (above or below the main access level), at least one lift shall be provided. For the elderly who have mobility problems, going up and down the staircase would risk them falling or slipping.”
He said sidewalks also need to be redesigned to ensure the safety of the elderly.
“Roadside curbs should be lowered to seven to 10cm from the current 15cm. This would enable unfit seniors to lift their foot up and safely cross the road.”
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Agreeing with Mohd Tajuddin, Universiti Teknologi Mara graduate architect Elina Annuar, said urban planners and architects should include a “space design” (an architectural term referring to the design of outdoor and indoor spaces) that accommodates everyone, especially the elderly and the disabled.
“Our public spaces have so many elements that are hazards to vulnerable groups. We have complicated floor plans, narrow walkways, slippery surfaces on indoor flooring and ramps, a lack of physical support elements such as sturdy railings, and signage with small letterings.
Elina said the current architecture and urban design do not accommodate consumer culture and behaviour.
“People in their 50s to 70s grew up to fend for themselves and be independent. They have their social activities and are not used to being supervised or looked after.
“Public spaces need to be redesigned to accommodate the traits of such people to reduce risks of accidents in public spaces.”
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