A RECENT post on Threads caught the attention of many Malaysians after it showed an alleged situation involving a wheelchair user at an LRT station.
The post claimed that the person had been waiting for the elevator first, but a group of able-bodied people crowded into it without giving him the chance to enter.
What made the situation worse was the way some of the people allegedly avoided eye contact and looked down as they entered. To some, this might seem like a small incident, but for the person left outside, it could have felt like another reminder that people do not always consider those with disabilities.
The issue is not about saying able-bodied people cannot use LRT elevators. It is about knowing when someone else needs it more, especially when that person may not have another convenient way to move around the station.
For a wheelchair user, an elevator is not simply an easier option compared to the stairs or escalator. It can be their only way to get from one level to another, which is why giving them priority should be common sense.
Unfortunately, this is not a new problem. People with disabilities, or OKU, have faced different forms of discrimination and inconvenience for years, whether it is in public transportation, buildings, workplaces or even simple everyday situations.
Malaysia has come a long way in developing accessible facilities, but having these facilities is only one part of the solution. We also need people to understand why these facilities exist and actually respect the people who depend on them.
Sometimes, being considerate does not require much effort at all. It can simply mean noticing someone waiting before entering an elevator, giving them space, or asking if they would like to go first.
The most disappointing part is when people notice what is happening but choose to ignore it.
Looking away or pretending not to notice does not make the situation disappear; it only makes the person being ignored feel even more invisible.
This is why incidents like the one shared on Threads deserve more than just anger in the comment section. People can spend hours bashing those involved online, but the real question is whether we will actually change our behaviour when we are faced with a similar situation ourselves.
It is easy to say that we would have done the right thing when watching from a screen. However, real awareness is shown when nobody is recording, nobody is watching and there is nothing to gain from doing the right thing.
As a growing society, we should be doing better than this. Progress should not only be about having modern LRT stations, better public transportation and accessible facilities, but also about becoming a society that knows how to treat people with respect.
Accessibility should never stop at the entrance of an elevator. A facility can be completely accessible on paper, but if people constantly prevent those who need it from using it, then the purpose of that accessibility is lost.
We should also be careful about treating people with disabilities as if they are helpless. Being considerate does not mean assuming what someone needs or making them feel different; sometimes, it simply means giving them the same respect and opportunity that we would expect for ourselves.
We should not have to wait for incidents like this to go viral before we start talking about accessibility and inclusion. More importantly, we should not need social media to remind us to show basic consideration towards another human being.
The next time we see someone waiting for an elevator, especially someone using a wheelchair, we can pause for a moment before rushing in. Giving them priority may only take a few seconds, but those few seconds can make their journey much easier.
And if we see someone being pushed aside or overlooked, we should not just stand there and assume someone else will help. Sometimes, speaking up, giving someone space or simply showing consideration can make a bigger difference than we realise.
Change does not always have to begin with a huge campaign or a new law. Sometimes, it begins with one person choosing to do the right thing when everyone else chooses to look away.
Be the voice for those who don’t have one. Everyone deserves to move through society with dignity, respect and the feeling that they belong too.
Daninas Hezry is a student at City University Malaysia. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.