Recce @ Punggol Plaza

Quoted in Enabling Masterplan 2012-2016, "...it aims to build a more inclusive society where persons with disabilities are supported across their various life stages and aspects of daily living to realise their fullest potential and to be contributing members of the society."

I had never given much thought about social inclusivity, much less understood the significance of it until I became a special parent. Things that we took for granted on a daily basis, be it pathways we stepped foot upon; the curb of a road divider; transport to get from point to point; stairway leading to an office building; buttons of a lift etc. Things or issues that we would never kill our brain cells over unless they pose an inconvenience to our lives, were hurdles to the physically challenged. I learnt it first hand.

I was reluctant and nervous about bringing C further away from home for many reasons, just to name a few:
i) Being stranded during out of power / breakdown situation;
ii) At higher risk for accidents;
iii) Inaccessibility and unable to get to destination;
iv) Situation where child was unable to drive due to fatigue / illness;
v) Milk pump battery and/or supplies at risk of running out during all of the above scenarios.

There was no Dummies Guide to rely on, no Google map on fool-proof (handicapped) route to take and no nearby.sg search for the nearest wheelchair user for assistance. The numerous concerns traveling alone with a special child on powerchair (fyi the vehicle required 1-2 strong men to barge) were very real.

For now, the only way to find out what to expect was to test out each route & destination, expanding the distance covered. So here's our first recce:

Starting point: Punggol Field Walk
Destination: Punggol Plaza & Wet Market
Foreseeable challenges: LRT lift and crowds
Potential roadblock: LRT lift out of service. Need to proceed to nearest pedestrian crossings at two ends of road. However, only one of said crossings was feasible for use as the other involved going up and down curbs. This would be further explored in next blog post as route leads to another recce place.

Ease of accessibility: 4 out of 5. There were adequate ramps and lifts for use. Some paths were narrow so it required experienced maneuvering.
Sheltered from point to point: 5 out of 5
Facilities in mall for stopovers (diaper change/milk feeds): No diaper room
Crowd observation: Mostly friendly. We did encounter impatient folks who tried to overtake and not give way especially while taking lifts. The handicapped and folks with other form of medical condition were generally friendlier gesturing "hello", giving flying kisses and smiles. The wet market operators were most open to conversations.
My 3yo's opinion: It was a bit difficult to drive because I bumped into things and people
What I think: Paths leading to LRT lifts were narrow and only allowed for one stroller / wheelchair to pass. It would be difficult to do a 3-point turn coming out from lift when there was a crowd hence most times I had to take control of chair to avoid causing a jam. We were unable to enter most shops due to space constraints but given that this was a small neighbourhood mall so it's not critical.
Overall experience: 4 out of 5