“Ang isang school naman ng National Orthopedic Hospital na school for crippled children – makikita natin na ang mga school na nagbibigay ng mga opportunity sa PWD ay nasa malayong lugar wala po sa Cavite. Mabigyan sana ito ng atensyon sa atin. Malaking bagay poi to sa mga PWD – ang iba ay hindi informed na may ganitong school para sa PWD.” In rural areas, many communities can be reached only by foot due to lack of roads that connect them with the other parts of the community. Those with mobility impairment often complain about the poor quality of roads that they have which further constraints their mobility and limit their exposure to information and available resources around them. High education cost Poverty is the single biggest obstacle for women with disabilities trying to access education. As women disability shared in the FGDs, “Hindi ang kapansanana namin ang dahilan kung bakit hindi kami nakapagtapos ng pagaaral. Dahil iyon sa kahirapan talaga ng mga magualng magulang ko noong araw.” Despite free public education, the need to purchase school uniforms and learning materials hinder poor families from sending their children to school. Women with disabilities are entitled to scholarships and educational assistance under Magna Carta of Persons with Disability, however, stringent requirements to access education such as entrance examination add burden and often discourage women with disabilities. Also, the logistical needs to be able to perform their learning tasks which require assistive devices (screen reader, playback machine and hearing aid), personal assistance (guide and sign language interpreter) and advance technology (digital accessible information system) makes such financial assistance inadequate. To deaf students for instance, the need for skilled sign language interpreters makes access to quality education more difficult and expensive. As shared in the FGD, ”Interpreters should not be shouldered by deaf – it must be subsidized by the government – most persons with disabilities are poor.” Because overcrowded classroom is a problem in public schools, along with insufficient capacity to cater to the needs of children with disability particularly those with behavioral problem, poor families who cannot afford to send their children to private schools are forced to let their children stop from schooling. Hostile learning environment The FGDs showed disability itself does not hinder full and effective participation in education of persons with disabilities but rather attitudinal and environmental barriers existing 7