Profiling disabled facilities and accessibility provided in national heritage buildings in Malaysia

• Published in: Journal of Critical Reviews
• Main Author: Zahari N.F.; Ani A.I.C.; Rashid R.A.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Innovare Academics Sciences Pvt. Ltd 2020
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85083313855&doi=10.31838%2fjcr.07.05.18&partnerID=40&md5=834472ee1a132fd6333fce45a1b18311

The national heritage buildings in Malaysia have gained popularity due to their various historical upbringing and culture. They attract both local and international tourists. However, lack of facilities for the disabled people has hindered their prospects to become globally popular. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent of disabled facilities and accessibility in the national heritage buildings. This research opted for qualitative methods to achieve its purpose. Three case studies were selected and observed using Malaysia Standard 1184:2014 Universal Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment-Code of Practice (MS 1184:2014). Two findings revealed from this research are, firstly, the built environment of the heritage buildings itself caused barrier to the disabled person. Secondly, inadequate establishment in heritage act, guidelines, or manuals for disabled facilities and accessibility has caused barrier to the disabled people to enjoy and visit the heritage buildings. This research focussed only on disabled facilities and accessibility in national heritage buildings and was conducted through selected case studies and observations using the MS 1184:2014. This research has also revealed new insights of heritage building. They are growing opportunities for heritage tourism in Malaysia. This research highlights the significance of having disabled facilities and accessibility in heritage buildings. This should be addressed to ensure the participation of disabled people in social activities. This research will be a great contribution in improving the facilities and accessibility for the disabled (including the elderly, pushchairs, prams, and pregnant women) in national heritage buildings by their building management. © 2019 by Advance Scientific Research.