Sia (front row, sixth from left) with members of Milad after receiving the donated items which will go to 42 OKU recipients. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
Applications open for training focused on assisting organisations with OKU staff, advising on special needs
A TRAINING programme is available for youths with special needs to become leaders when it comes to dealing with people with disabilities (OKU).
Malaysia Independent Living Association for Disabled (Milad) is calling for applicants aged 18 to 30 who are interested in becoming professional trainers.
Milad will select 16 trainees, who must be registered with the Welfare Department, for the Disability Inclusion Leadership Training (DILT) programme.
Programme head and Milad president Sia Siew Chi, who will be one of the trainers, said, “We want the trained disabled individuals to become professional trainers who can assist organisations with OKU staff, as well as advise on the needs of people with disabilities.
“We welcome people with any type of disability, such as visual, hearing or physical impairments, to apply.”
She said those with good public-speaking abilities would have an advantage.
“Applicants who are OKU cardholders from across Malaysia, passionate about disability rights and committed to becoming inclusion trainers, are encouraged to apply,” Sia said after receiving donations of medical supplies at Milad’s centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The 18-month programme starting in July is funded by Unicef, with technical support from the Disability Equality Training (DET) Forum, Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability, and Japan International Cooperation Agency.
It is the first of its kind in Malaysia, designed exclusively for OKU to enable them to become professional trainers who meet the certification standards of Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp).
The programme will include a 14-day in-person DET workshop, weekly two-hour online mentorship, Independent Living Programme training, one-day practical facilitation experience and five-day Train-the-Trainer workshop for HRD Corp certification.
Applications should include the person’s name, background and contact information, and be sent to miladmalaysia@gmail.com by June 30.
Details can be found at www.miladmalaysia.org
At the event, 42 persons with disabilities received donations of urinary bags and adult diapers worth RM5,826 from an anonymous donor.
“While 11 of them are able to collect the items from us, the rest will have their donated supplies delivered to their homes.
“The donor has been generous over the years, regularly sponsoring essential items for OKU.
“These items are costly and any sponsorship to fund them is greatly appreciated by the disabled community,” Sia said, adding that many of the recipients were bedridden.
