Group wants churches accessible to persons with disabilities

MANILA, Philippines - The Cerebral Palsied Association of the Philippines (CPAP) requests the Catholic hierarchy to make churches more accessible for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

CBCPNews, the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, yesterday reported that CPAP president Charito Corazon Manglapus said that PWDs are having difficulty in going to churches.

“Our request is really for all the churches to be more accessible (for PWDs),” said Manglapus, who also has cerebral palsy and moves around in a wheelchair.

Manglapus also called for the creation of a ministry for PWDs in all dioceses that would respond to their spiritual needs and other concerns.

She said the Church can help differently abled people in their struggle to overcome all forms of discrimination in the societies and secure equal opportunities for them.

“We are hoping that all dioceses will have a ministry for PWDs because we also need spiritual upliftment...This is important so that the others can accept that disability is not a liability. But this is really a challenge for many of us to be part of the Church,” she added.

Former CBCP president Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo admitted that responding to the needs of PWDs has remained a challenge for the Church.

He said that although some dioceses and church organizations have ministries for the PWDs, a more aggressive action is needed to support them.

The CBCP has a Commission on Health that assists dioceses and religious communities to help those who are suffering on account of their handicap, old age and grave illness. But since many dioceses do not have their own commission on health care, the ministry is handled by the social action centers.

“In fact in many places, it is under the social action ministry but I am in favor of having separate commission for PWDs,” Archbishop Lagdameo said.

For his part, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action, said that having a ministry for PWDs in the parishes has long been encouraged.

“There are already some parishes who have that but more needs to done. This is very important,” Pabillo said.