So Fisher Mall is really really really PWD UNFRIENDLY

Posted: April 23, 2018

I decided not to make my un-love letter to Fisher Mall anymore because I DON'T LIKE HATE and I choose ACTION instead.

I was supposed to write ab open-letter to Fisher Mall but decided not to that coz I feel like they will just ignore it just like how they brush off and didn't accept it when my mom tried filing a complaint to the mall's management the nexy day. National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) it is!

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My mom tried filing a complaint to Fisher Mall management the next day. To no avail...WALA!

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"Sunday we went back to Fisher Mall for the second day event. My mom went to the ladies’ CR to look for the janitress who helped us and sign as witness to the photos we took inside the cubicle. But she referred my mom to a person from an admin office representative.

According to Ms. Jendrean Lo, a Tenant Relations Officer, that wide door cubicle is intended for PWD, but my mom reitererated, how can you say it's for PWD? Not a single railing inside? Then Ms. Lo said "Mam sa ibang floors po may PWD CR."

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All floors must have PWD CR, and to think that 4th floor is where their events halls are.

Kinda wide CR cubicle. We were really so surprised when we entered the cubicle.

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So we filed a complaint directly to National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and here's the draft of my letter:

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Dear National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA),

Greetings!

Last April 21, 2018, I have learned that Fisher Mall in Quezon City is PWD unfriendly because it hurt my feelings and hurt my mom’s lower back / spine. I am a PWD, my mom is a PWD – both of us have orthopedic disability.

We went to Fisher Mall to watch the National Open & Age Group Raw Powerlifting completion that was held on the event hall on the mall’s 4th floor. While watching the event, I told my mom that I need to pee and asked her to bring me to the toilet. Luckily, my dad was there to push my wheelchair because the toilet is a bit far from the event hall and since my mom uses a cane to walk, it’ll be hard for her to push my wheelchair alone. So we reached the toilet area. There is no PWD toilet. Good thing there’s a designated cubicle for PWD. Good thing? Or so I thought.

Since it is a women’s toilet, my dad can’t go inside so it was only me and my mom and that’s alright because she’s been assisting me in a PWD toilet for years and it’s not that hard F since there are bars that we can hold on to that helps us in keeping our balance.

But were really surprised when we went inside the cubicle.

With a flat wall and nothing to hold on to except my frail mother. We were looking around and tried to figure out how I can transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet bowl. We really can’t think of any easy way, we still can’t figure it out and I want to pee already. Bahala na!

While I was transferring to the toilet bowl, the lower part of my left leg kind of hit my wheelchair. I have a big tumor inside it and although it doesn’t really hurt, that leg reacts and jerks every time that happens. It happened and fortunately it happened when I was about to sit on the bowl.

And so I have to transfer from the toilet bowl to the wheelchair. My mom lifted me up again. My left leg felt so weak and I can feel my mom’s brittle bones and I was afraid t to tighten my hold on her brittle bones. I tried holding on to the flat wall but my hand just slipped. We were about to fall and then my mom pushed me on the wheelchair so that I won’t land on the floor. I was slouched on the wheelchair, my butt on the air, only my hips up to my back were touching the wheelchair, I haven’t wore my underwear and shorts yet and the worst part is, my mother’s hips, back and spine were aching. Thankfully, the janitress was on standby outside the cubicle door when my mom opened it to ask for help because I was still slouched and hanging on the wheelchair without underwear and shorts.

Because of their lack of sensitivity and concern for the PWDs, my mom’s weak and brittle bones that are often in pain became weaker and she need to undergo rehabilitation therapy. She has lupus.

Also, the so-called PWD cubicle is not big enough. The wheelchair can’t navigate properly.

If this happened to us, how about the other PWDs who will be using that so-called PWD toilet cubicle? The management kept saying that there are the PWD toilets on the other floor levels? And why not on the 4th floor then? I don’t think it’s not that hard to attach bars on the toilet wall that the PWDs can hold on to.

I am really looking forward for you to take action and investigate on this. It’s not only for my sake or my mom but for the PWDs who will also use that toilet in the future.

Sincerely,
Maria Kathrina Lopez Yarza

How can I transfer from my wheelchair to the toilet bowl? Wiwing wiwi na ko talagang talaga!

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We are also filing a complaint against the Fisher Mall Management for my Mom's injury.

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"I depend a lot on her since I am partially paralyzed, totally deaf and half blind. And her mobility after that incident is quite restricted now. What if I fell from my wheelchair during that incident?"

I repeat: Maliit na cubicle lang siguro para sa Fisher Mall (kaya ang dali nilang balewalain), pero MALAKING BAGAY ITO PARA SA MGA PWD.

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So NCDA wrote a letter to Fisher Mall & Quezon City Mayor’s office and also forwarded my letter to them.

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They placed a PWD sticker on the door of the cubicle. “Tabingi pa,” my mom said.

May 4, 2018 — Even though her hips were still in pain due to the accident, my mom went to Fisher Mall to file a file a formal complaint, again. They accepted it this time — the letter, but I but not their mistake My mom saw the so-called PWD cubicle of the said toilet and they already placed small bars on the wall and PWD on the door. I repeat: small bars. Maybe they were thinking, “pwede na yan” Still, there’s not enough railings and it’s not big enough to fit a wheelchair. When we went there the following day after the accident (May 22 – 2nd day of the Powerlifting competition), my sister even folded my wheelchair while I was seated on the toilet bowl so that she can move around and assist me while I was peeing.

They placed small grab bars inside the cr cubicle that is intended DAW for mothers and housewives and not for PWDs.

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Letter from Dizon Dizon & Associates all the way from Baguio City. One for my mom & one for me.

May 21, 2018 — my mom and I both received a copy furnished letter addressed to NCDA from Fisher Mall’s lawyer. Lies, excuses, sarcasm, insults & lack of sensitiveness — those were the contents of the letter.

“On that particular occasion, the person on duty offered to accompany the mother and daughter to the PWD-restroom but the offer was sternly rebuffed.” >>>Talaga lang ha!?!?!?!

AOK

This is very insulting.

WHATEVER!