Chapter 3 - Report of the Research and Policy Development Group 8. Raising Awareness The Government needs to invest in awareness raising to promote understanding of the nature of disability, the social model of disability, and the strengths of inclusive education. They also need to provide training to inform all relevant duty bearers of their responsibilities under the law, and to provide an understanding of the rights of children. Campaigns on disabilities need to be intensified. Government agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders such as UNICEF could come together to form partnerships to work on advocacy programmes related to the rights of children with disabilities. The public needs to be exposed to the challenges and rights of PWD. Parliamentarians need to be educated on the importance of access to education for children with disabilities, including CWLD. In 2015, the Commission plans to initiate discussions with the MOE as well as the Performance Management Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) to further deliberate its findings. (b) Care Services for Older Persons and Support for Caregivers In 2013, issues affecting older persons were identified as one of the Commission’s priority areas and pursuant thereto, several activities were conducted, including consultation with Government agencies and NGOs, visits to care centres, and a half day seminar on care services for older persons and types of support for caregivers in the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. In 2014, based on all the activities above, the Commission prepared a Report on Care Services for Older Persons and Support for Caregivers, which identified the following issues and challenges affecting care services and caregivers: i. Limited Care Centres for Older Persons Concern was expressed about the limited number of Government-funded old folks’ homes and senior citizen activity centres as well as the available amount of financial aid for older persons compared with the older person population in Malaysia. ii. Limited Mobility Many older persons who have medical conditions are unable to access healthcare services due to mobility limitations and disabilities including physical and mental health problems, and also unfriendly public transport. The distance between the JKM offices and the rural villages makes it difficult for older persons to access services or assistance from the department. iii. No Specific Laws on Older Persons and Incomprehensive Laws on Care Centres for Older Persons There are no clear cut laws in Malaysia stipulating the rights of older persons, therefore older persons’ rights are not fully protected under the current applicable laws. With respect to the monitoring of private care centres, the registration of care centres under the Care Centre Act 1993 is still lacking. The care services in Malaysia are fragmented as various ministries or departments are involved in the provision of these services. 65