disabilities t o mingle
o f the
In
time,most
f r i e n d s hf p -
a sco-workers,
attitudes will
associates a n d social
give w a y
t o comfort,
acquaintances.
respect
and
Disability affects
hundreds
o f millions o f families: i n developing
countriep. Currently a r o u n d ten percent o f the total world's
population,
or rougjily 650
m i l l i o n people, live w i t h disability,'^
About
1 6 p e r
t h o u s a n ^ o f the country's population h a d disability.
O f tjie 9 2 . 1 million
h o u s e h o l d p o p u l a t i o n i n t h e c o u n t r y , 1,433 t h o u s a n d persons; o r 1.57
percent
h a d disability.^
Despite
the passage o f sevend law^,
PWDs
c o n t i n u ^ to feel d i s c r i m i n a t e d a n d left b e h i n d .
Ohe o f the biggest problems encountered
i n t a c k l i i j ii gs s ut eh e o f
d i s a b i l i t y l i e s n o t i n t h e i n d i v i d u a l l i v i n g w i t h t h e c o n bd ui t ii onn , t h 'e
societal vipw towards it, a n d the reaction that such view
e n tP aWiDl ss
a r e v i e w e d b y s o c i e t y a t l a r g e a s o b j e c t s o f c h a r i t y , t r e a rt om teenctt ,i o np
a n d ass stance rather t h a n subjects with rights.
address this issue, Proclamation
N o . 3 6 1 , a S a m e aided b y
A d m i n i s t r a t i v e O r d e r N o . 3 5 , w a s s i g n e d i n 1 9 A u g u s t 2 0 0 0 ,i n gc a fl o r a
weeklong
celebration
o f t h e National
Disability
Prevention a n d
Rehabilitation every July 1 7 t o 23. This endeavors t o stimula e public
awareness
o n disability and
encourage eveiy citizen
t o tale
active
responsibility i n the upliftment o f the economic a n d social concjitions o f
the 91,(|00 persons w i t h disabilities of o u r
society.
Fpr this year's celebration o f the 36"^ National Disability Prevention
and Rehabilitation W e e k (NDPR), the National W o r k i n g Committc e agreed
o n t h e t h e m e : " T a l i n o a t P a n i n i n d i g a n n g T a o n g May Kaps u s a n a n :
Pasaporte sa Kaunlaran".
This theme
signifies
our commitment to
promote the capabilities, skills a n d talents o f persons w i t h disabilities a s
a m e a n s o f i m p r o v i n g their lives a n d e c o n o m i c status.
Furthermore, it
a l s o as]»ires t o m a i n s t r e a m a n d i n c l u d e d i s a b i l i t y a g e n d a i n a l l p r o g r a m s
of govei n m e n t a n d non-government
organizations i n order t o fulfill their
obligati )ns to persons w i t h disabilities a s d u t y
bearers.
This
c a n b e
achieved
b y w a y o f effectively
addressing
discrimination
o n t h e basis
o f disability^,
denial
o f
reasonable
accommodation^
and non-provision
o f u n i v e r s a l l y designed'^^
products,
environments, programmes and
services.
2010
Dm
1,
1
Jtion
2
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