KUALA LUMPUR: The community of people with disabilities (PwDs) is seeking the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to replace the work ‘cacat’ (disabled) in its term ‘Elaun Pekerja Cacat’ or EPC (Allowance for Disabled Workers) with ‘OKU’, for ‘Orang Kelainan Upaya’ – or PwDs.
Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, who represents the PwDs in Dewan Negara, said the PwDs found the use of the word ‘disabled’ when referring to them as ‘offensive’.
“The term ‘disabled’ is like looking down on the PwD community. We are firm in wanting the term EPC to be changed to ‘Allowance for OKU Workers’,” she told reporters after officiating at the ‘World Down Syndrome Day’ at the Malaysian Down Syndrome Association here yesterday.
Last Friday, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry was reported to have made an apology if the use of the term ‘EPC’ had offended the PwD group, aading that it would change the term next month in conjunction with Welfare Department’s 75th anniversary.
According to the ministry, the term has been used since the 1970s.
Ras Adiba, who is Bernama chairman, said she was grateful to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun for her concern with the feelings of the PwDs over the use of the word.
“I am grateful because she, herself, contacted me after the ministry found that many people were not happy with the use of EPC
“I am grateful that our voice is heard and immediate action would be taken by the ministry,” she added. — Bernama
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