EDITORIAL - A week for PWDs

As the country dedicated the third week of July to the 44th observance of National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, there was reason for celebration. Much progress has been made in the past decades to promote the welfare of persons with disabilities and prevent the debilitation of more people.

Recognized Special Education Centers or SPED for the blind were created as early as 1963, through Republic Act 3562. Progress sped up decades later, with the passage in 1992 of RA 7277, the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, which promoted privileges and benefits for persons with disabilities, discouraged discrimination and opened opportunities for PWD employment.

RA 7277, passed in 2013, expanded the jobs reserved for PWDs to at least one percent of all positions in government agencies, offices and corporations, with PWDs enjoying the same compensation, privileges, benefits, incentives or allowances as able-bodied persons. Private corporations with over 100 employees were likewise “encouraged” to reserve one percent of all positions to PWDs.

In 2016, the benefits and privileges of PWDs granted under the Magna Carta were expanded under RA 10754. Many private establishments now tout facilities that are PWD-friendly.

As in most laws in this country, the challenge is in the proper enforcement. There are continuing complaints about establishments refusing to grant the discounts stipulated by law for PWDs and senior citizens. Compliance with laws promoting the welfare of PWDs and seniors citizens is generally high in Metro Manila and other urban centers, but weak in other parts of the country.

Some private companies have hired more PWDs beyond what the law requires, as part of corporate social responsibility programs. Still, PWDs can use more employment opportunities, especially amid the difficulties spawned by the pandemic. With businesses just starting to recover, PWDs are low on the list of those getting their jobs back. The challenge for the country, at the end of a week dedicated to PWDs, is how to help the differently abled get back on their feet post-pandemic.