Disability Pride and Unpacking Ableism in Philippine Society

Photo Credit: Vera Files

All around the world, individuals and organizations celebrate Disability Pride Month every July. Disability Pride Month is more than a celebration; it's a movement. It aims to reshape societal perceptions of disabilities, emphasizing that individuals with disabilities are proud of their identities and should be recognized for their unique contributions to society. As we honor the history, achievements, and rights of individuals with disabilities this month, may it serve as a reminder of the strides made towards inclusivity and justice, as well as the existing challenges that still need to be addressed.

History of Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month started in the United States as a commemoration of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. It is the law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in various aspects of life, such as employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to different state and local government programs and services.

That year, the first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston, Massachusetts but the momentum was not sustained due to the death of lead organizer, Diana Viets and the move of co-organizer Catherine Odette. Fourteen years later, the first Disability Pride Parade was held in Chicago where almost 2,000 individuals attended. The parade has since become an annual event in the city, growing in size and influence over the years; even inspiring other cities and states in the United States and even internationally.

Disability Pride Month has contributed to a growing cultural awareness and acceptance of disabilities. It continues to evolve, fostering a sense of community and pride. In 2019, the original disability flag was designed by Ann Magill and has since then evolved through the continuous collaboration of the community, truly representing the solidarity among people with disabilities and their allies.

Disability Justice in the Philippines: Progress and Challenges

In the Philippines, there are 1,638,588 registered People with Disabilities (or PWDs as commonly referred and reclaimed by Filipinos with disabilities) as of June 8, 2024, according to the National Council on Disability Affairs. This figure represents approximately 1.37% of the population, underscoring the need for greater attention and priority to be given to this community. 

While there is no Disability Pride Month in the Philippines, there are several disability-related honourings spread across the year. Included in these are Women with Disabilities Day on the last Monday of March, International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, and National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week every third week of July which culminates on July 23, the birthday of revolutionary leader, Apolinario Mabini who was paralytic. The most recent addition to the list was just this year, as it was declared that July 17 to July 23 every year would be the National Disability Rights Week.

Legislative Gaps and Poor Implementations

There are also national and local legislations and programs supporting PWDs, one of the most well-known ones is Republic Act (RA) 10754 which expanded benefits of PWDs including the 20% discount for certain goods and value added tax exemption. Others include the Accessibility Law (Batas Pambansa Blg. 344) which ensures buildings, institutions, and public utilities must be accessible for PWDs, RA 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons) which provides for the rehabilitation, self-development, and self-reliance of disabled persons and ensures their integration into the mainstream of society, and RA 10070 which required the creation of Persons with Disability Affairs Offices (PDAO) in every province, city, and municipality.

Unfortunately, we see a lack of proper implementation for these laws. Poorly made ramps, for example, are seen quite a lot in public establishments. Most recently, the MMDA got a lot of flak for the steep ramp along EDSA which has a 14.15 degree slope instead of the required 4.8 degree by law.  We have also seen ramps that lead to walls and ramps that can and have been blocked by parked cars.

Photo credit: Vera Files

Public transportation in the Philippines, infamous for its inefficiency for the general public, is also more inaccessible for PWDs.In a walkthrough of the train systems in Metro Manila in 2023, Rappler found that no train stations have implementations for visually impaired persons, no MRT-3 stations had tactile flooring to assist visually impaired persons, 39% of stations lacked PWD-accessible bathrooms, only five LRT-1 stations have elevators, and a whopping 80% are not fully accessible at all entrances.

Due to recent clamor regarding these violations, Life Haven Center for Independent Living or Life Haven CIL, a organization of PWDs in Valenzuela City, Philippines have launched their #DapatPwede campaign. They are inviting the public to share facilities they encounter that violates the Accessibility Law on social media and use the hashtag #DapatPwede. They aim to show how common these inaccessible infrastructures are. The group also calls for the Department of Transportation and Department of Public Works and Highways to review the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Accessibility Law since it has been 30 years since it was last updated.

The Lack of Nuanced Views on Disability

Common in these transport systems and other public spaces as well are stories from people with non-apparent disabilities. In the Philippines, according to RA 7277, PWDs are divided into different “categories”: psychosocial disability, mental disability, chronic illness, learning disability, visual disability, orthopedic disability, and communication disability. Filipinos share their experiences of facing discrimination when trying to make use of PWD-inclusive features on social media. Even Filipina actress, Matet De Leon, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder has shared that people have given her judging looks and asked her to change lanes because she was lined up in the priority lane reserved for senior citizens, pregnant people, and PWDs in the grocery store.

Despite wide empathy and support for persons with visible disabilities, the same cannot be said for those with other layers of disabilities. Media, of course, plays a big role in influencing the masses of Filipino people. However, the National Council of Disability Affairs (NCDA) has given critiques in existing Philippine media regarding the representation of PWDs. Then-NCDA director Carmen Zubiaga has said that PWDs are always either villains or objects of pity in television shows. This reinforces negative connotations and more misunderstanding regarding PWDs among the viewers nationwide. Moreover, the government's neglect extends to the sick and elderly. According to Karapatan, 95 political prisoners who are sick and 91 who are elderly languish without proper medical support and liberty. 

Employment Discrimination

In terms of employment, the Department of Labor and Employment’s Integrated Livelihood Program and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, marginalized individuals, including PWDs, are given financial aid and opportunity to earn a living. There are also notable establishments that hire PWDs such as: Hisbeans Cafe, Fruitas, Chooks-to-Go, and Overdoughs.

PWDs, like other marginalized and vulnerable sectors of society, can be found in every class. PWDs are working class citizens, students, farmers, and professionals. Therefore, the struggle of the masses of Filipino people is also the struggle of the Filipino PWD. 

For the case of PWDs within the age of labor force in the Philippines, the reality is it is very difficult to land a job. There is definitely discrimination when it comes to hiring PWDs despite an existing law protecting PWDs from said discrimination. The total unemployment rate in the Philippines is 4.10% as of May 2024. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate of Filipino PWDs is at 7% as of January 2022.

Even though PWDs are capable and competent, the limited opportunities for work, and discrimination during the hiring process deny them the possibility to utilize their skills. Many PWDs work in low paying positions with repetitive work which would become unfulfilling and also insufficient to support their needs. With a national minimum wage of PHP 610 in Metro Manila (and even lower in regional areas), the budget for healthcare and other needs of families with PWDs could be compromised.

IBON Foundation cites that the family living wage (the wage that you need in order for a family of five to live decently) is PHP 1,190 per day in order to have a PHP 479 budget for health expenses. And let’s be honest, PHP 479 a month would not even cover the expense for several medical consultations and laboratory tests many persons with disability would need. This would lead to a lack of access to healthcare for PWDs.

In addition to financial incapability, geographical location of healthcare facilities that cater to PWDs, social stigma towards PWDs even in the healthcare system, and inaccessible transport and building designs also make access to healthcare difficult for PWDs. Despite RA 10070, there are only 739 Persons with Disabilities Affairs Offices (PDAOs) in the Philippines as of February 2022 and only 60% of those offices have designated focal persons according to the National Council on Disability Affairs.

Education 

The education crisis in the Philippines also extends to youth with disabilities. There has been a push for inclusive education, where children with disabilities are integrated into mainstream schools. In 2022, former president Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11650 which mandated all schools to provide inclusive education. However, to be truly effective, it is not enough that children with disabilities simply join the regular classroom. Adjustments must be made to make the regular classroom setting truly inclusive, with the goal of giving students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in school activities. With no budget being allotted for special education (SPED) the following year in 2023, the passage of the law was deemed meaningless. Meanwhile, then-secretary of education, Sara Duterte, spent P125 million in confidential funds within 11 days.

The fact is, there is still a lack of SPED teachers in the country (~4,000 only) and 84% of municipalities nationwide do not have SPED centers. 26.56% of children with disabilities are poor and therefore, have less access to SPED and therapy centers fit for their needs.

Along with accessible public spaces and transportation, Live Haven CIL  also calls for the passage of the Inclusive Education Act or RA 11650 which ensures Philippine schools are accessible and inclusive, making schools a conducive learning environment for children with disabilities.

In Times of Crisis

The recent Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) has also further exposed the lack of intention in aiding PWDs in times of crisis. Aside from prioritization for rescue and evacuation along with children and senior citizens, there is little to no effort for inclusivity for PWDs during calamities. Programs like DWSD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) which provide financial aid to those affected are insufficient. According to DSWD, almost 146,000 individuals were affected by the Typhoon in Metro Manila but only 600 people were given financial aid through AICS in Tondo, Manila.

Families with PWDs are often left to find ways to get through the calamity on their own. Such is the story of John Carlo Domanais from Meycauayan, Bulacan. He evacuated his family (with a 6-year-old child, seniors, and PWD) to his neighbors house on his own during the peak of the typhoon.

The Need for Genuine Disability Justice

Due to the struggle of accessing support for PWDs, there are many organizations and foundations that have been established to increase awareness about the fight of PWDs and to act as additional support for PWDs. Some notable organizations are Nationwide Organization of Visually Impaired Empowered Ladies (NOVEL) which is an organization of women with disabilities fighting for women’s rights and disability-inclusive development, Association of Empowered PWD Philippines, Inc., Grain Foundation for PWD Inc., and Leonard Cheshire Disability Philippines Foundation (LCDPF).