BEING able to walk again must be the deepest wish of every wheelchair user. The sense of helplessness that comes with being unable to walk is especially felt when they need to go out to attend to business because not every place is wheelchair friendly, and not everyone is kind and helpful.
My wife became a wheelchair user several years ago. To make the situation worse, both of us are already in our sunset years. But in spite of this, we don’t have problems going to places where there are ramps or elevators, such as malls or hospitals. Otherwise, going out would be really challenging. Recently, my wife was required to go personally to a bank in Pantai Jerjak in Sungai Nibong, Penang, to set up an online account. Being able to do her banking transactions online is now necessary for her because the bank is no longer serving wheelchair-bound customers waiting in their cars. As the bank is situated among a row of shophouses, accessing it could be difficult for a wheelchair user. I therefore went a day earlier to survey the area. I noticed that the most difficult part would be for the wheelchair user to get onto a nearly 30cm-high step that leads to the lobby because the bank is on a higher level than the five-foot way. I explained my problems to a bank employee in charge of walkin customers. She told me not to worry as I could enter through the ATM area where there’s a wheelchair ramp. The shutter wall between the ATM area and bank’s lobby could easily be rolled up, she said. With this assurance, I brought my wife to the said bank a few days later. It was certainly an uphill task for an elderly man to push someone in a wheelchair across a road and raised sidewalk that was uneven and rough. Thankfully, when we reached the five-foot way in front of the bank, a bank employee came out and led us to the ATM area. The shutter was also rolled up almost simultaneously. Anyway, my wife couldn’t have her online banking account set up because her thumbprints are not readable. She was told that she needed a letter from the Registration Department to facilitate the process. As we were about to leave, I requested the bank employee at the entrance to kindly roll up the shutter. We were shocked when she said she did not have the key to do so, and directed us to exit by the main entrance. In dismay, I asked loudly why this employee had no empathy at all for the elderly and a wheelchair user. Another employee kindly came to our aid and had the shutter rolled up immediately. Before leaving, I told the unkind employee to her face, “The key is always there, but you refused to lift a finger to help!” Everyone will grow old one day and, more likely than not, suffer from serious health problems. Hopefully, the bank will continue to reach out to customers who are in dire need of assistance.CK. CHAI Penang
