mabasa. Hindi po ako makakabasa ng mga IEC (information, education, and
communication) materials sa health center kasi ang liliit. Sa ngayon gumagamit po kami
ng PA (personal assistant). Ang nakakalungkot po, pag kinakausap kami, ang kinakausap
ay yung PA. Minsan hinahabol ko pa, “Uy, uy, uy, isama mo ako kasi ako ang tatanungin.
Anong isasagot mo diyan?” (‘I can’t read IEC materials in health centers because the fonts
used are so small. Hence, we seek the help of our personal assistants. What’s sad is that
people would talk to our personal assistants and not to us. They exclude us from the
conversation. Sometimes I would even run after (my PA) and remind them, “Hey, bring
me along because I’m the one who will be asked. How will you answer them?”’)
Communication barriers affect not only access to information and to available
government services; they do not only deny women with disabilities’ active participation;
they also impact access to legal remedies and access to justice. Several accounts of
women with disabilities in the National Inquiry revealed that they did not pursue legal
remedies in cases of sexual violence, due to lack of SLIs in relevant frontline offices. In a
fact-finding mission in Cordova, Cebu, the experience of a deaf lesbian demonstrated
helplessness and isolation in the absence of an SLI. According to her, “I was raped and
impregnated by an Indian. He threatened to kill me. Hence, I wasn’t able to file a complaint
against him. I was scared and didn't know what to do, as nobody seemed to understand
me, because I am deaf and I have a hard time expressing my concerns. After I gave birth,
he took my baby while I was sleeping. I felt very helpless as nobody could help me with
what to do.”
In cases that do get to Courts, the limited availability of SLI’s and the absence of relay sign
interpreters for unschooled deaf pose continuing barriers and challenges. 19
3.1.2. Physical barriers and constrained mobility due to unsafe, inaccessible, and
physically-challenging public spaces
The non-recognition of, and indifference to, the mobility requirements of persons with
disability is a source of extremely challenging, and even degrading, situations for women
with disabilities—particularly for women with mobility and visual impairments. Despite
the passage of laws ensuring reasonable accommodation for persons with disability,
accounts from the Inquiry continue to include physical and mobility barriers. Those living
in highly urbanized areas like Manila and Cebu complained about difficulties in navigating
public spaces due to poor lighting and obstructions, as well as the constant refusal of
public transport to carry passengers in wheelchairs. This impacts their mobility and access
to needed information, services, and commodities.
In NCR, a woman with low vision complained of a traffic light that promised accessibility
but then failed to sound the Go signal. This resulted in her waiting for a long time to cross
the street. She recounted, “Meron po kasi dun sa Project 4, ang sabi may voice na daw sa
19 Cebu City, Public Hearing
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