National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week

News from GOV.PH:
National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week celebration set
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007 | HUMAN RIGHTS


Cebu City -- To advance the cause of persons with disability, the Regional Council for the Welfare of the Disabled Persons (RCWDP) has lined up activities for the observance of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week which was set on July 17-23, 2007.

With the theme “Kapag May Access, May Success”, this year’s celebration will be highlighted with the conduct of forum on the Accessibility Law and some topics concerning persons with disability (PWDs) to heighten the public’s awareness on said issues and at the same time foster empowerment on the part of the disabled persons.

Shalaine Marie S. Lucero of the local Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here, in a meeting Tuesday, urged member agencies of the Regional Council to initiate other programs or activities in line with the week-long celebration.

In line with this, the Council will also conduct medical and dental outreach program, sponsor sports and cultural presentation and initiate tree planting activity, the last to be conducted in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR).

Earlier, Council members who themselves are suffering from physical disability aired their complaints against public infrastructures like hotels, schools and airports that do not provide access for PWDs.

They likewise deplored the architects association for showing reluctance to conform to the universal standards of constructing public buildings that are disabled-friendly.

They informed however that following the inspection and advocacy conducted by the Accessibility Monitoring Committee of the Council administrators of some schools in Cebu City promised to install accessibility structures in their buildings for PWDs.

Council members expressed hopes though that the country would come up with a more unified policy that will require builders to construct disabled-friendly public structures in the near future.
By Eli C. Dalumpines (PIA-Cebu)

I'll be attending a Special Sports Fest this Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City in line with the celebration of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week. See you there guys!