Chapter 1 - Report of the Education and Public Relations Group (b) Old-age Disabilities As an increasing number of Malaysians are living well into old age, they are in greater need of assistance in performing routine functions. Demand is also going up for medical care and nursing homes, while families are burdened with the high cost of care for elderly members. (c) Education Facilities in mainstream schools are generally unsuited to the needs of children with disabilities. These are rarely equipped with ramps or toilets for wheelchair-bound students, for example. As such, parents are often advised to enrol the children in a special-needs school, where the facilities cater for the physically challenged. However, this must be accompanied by assistance for those with different categories of disability. For instance, a visually-impaired student would have difficulty looking for reference books in the library, especially when Braille materials are lacking. (d) Employment The Government’s long-standing policy to absorb at least 1% of PwD into the work force has been negated by challenges in implementation. At the heart of this is that most PwD have not had access to schooling at an early age. Most cannot fulfil the basic requirement of providing a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia certificate to obtain employment, although a few hold diplomas or degrees. Many PwD therefore resort to low-paid jobs, as masseuses and telephone operators. (e) Healthcare Services Accessibility to and the adequacy of healthcare services are core concerns of PwD. As they are less likely to be employed, they do not enjoy health benefits that are usually offered with employment. Insurance companies fear awarding policies to PwD, as they are deemed to be of ‘high risk’ even in cases where the individual is financially stable. (f) Public Transportation Routine difficulties in utilising public transportation in Malaysia are multiplied for the PwD. For instance, not all terminals or bus/taxi stops are equipped with Braille signage, while pavements and access routes are not wheelchair-friendly. PwD who own cars can find it difficult to get parking space, as the lots reserved for them are taken by able-bodied persons. 4. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NON-DISCRIMINATION The Commission co-organised another National Conference on Non-Discrimination in Kuala Lumpur, together with Pusat KOMAS and the Institute of Ethnic Studies of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. As with the conference in 2011, this highlighted incidents of discrimination and racism, 36