PetPositive joins hands together with all Malaysians to salute our disabled athletes who participated in the just-concluded Ninth Far East and South Pacific Disabled Games Federation (Fespic) in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 1.

We also extend our sincerest 'syabas' to all the handicapped participants from abroad who along with our boys and gals numbered almost 4,000 in total.

Athletes with disabilities have shown Asia and the world on Malaysian soil that just like in any other world sporting events, the true medals are really for in trying and in the camaraderie shared amongst one another that makes everyone a winner.

This no matter what type of disability or multiple handicaps one might possess.

We hope that everyone who witnessed the competitions would've not only have marvelled at what the disabled are capable of but also realise that it is attitudes and other external factors rather than one's personal disability that divide people and inhibit the handicapped in our societies from achieving their full potential.

Having said this, we would also like to point out that not every disabled person can become a sportsman or a sportswoman. The majority of handicapped Malaysians will never see a glittering sports arena or from pictures in the media.

However, just because they remain unseen, it doesn't mean that their lives are less important than our very able disabled bodied sportspersons.

These people need cheering on too - persons with spinal injuries or polio, those paralysed from their necks down and lying in their beds, children with profound learning disabilities, adults with mental illnesses, older citizens with Parkinson's disease or stroke, young Malaysians with epilepsy and neurological conditions, the list is endless.

For these 'undiscovered' Malaysians, the ability to get around in their wheelchairs, white canes and walking aids is a constant, daily struggle in the real world. They need educators to stop labelling them as 'uneducable' as many people do with the learning disabled.

These undiscovered Malaysians need only a tiny opportunity for someone to say 'yes' and include them in the workforce. Even if they never get to be national and international sportsmen and sportswomen, when they have jobs and find themselves in a position to get married, at least their children perhaps have that chance.

On another note, Petpositive is encouraged by the slightly better coverage of the Fespic Games by the media compared to other local disabled sporting events. Can we please have lots more in future!

We also received reports that disabled-friendly features in some of the hotels that put up the athletes wasn't up to the mark. Transporting the athletes from their accommodation places to the sporting venue was also poor.

And finally, judging from visuals on TV and pictures in the print media, we regret that the lighting at the closing ceremony venue appeared inadequate for persons with low and poor vision.

With Visit Malaysia Year 2007 just round the corner, let's really do something to arrest this problem once and for all so that persons with disabilities will also be among the tourists we expect to receive next year.

The writer is president, Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PetPositive).