MANILA, Philippines – “Hindi puwede ang, ‘puwede na.’ Dapat puwede.“
(Just ‘good enough’ is not enough. It should follow legal standards.)
This was the clarion call of persons with disability (PWD) rights group Life Haven Center for Independent Living at the launch of a campaign for inclusive and accessible public infrastructure and facilities on Monday, July 29, in Mandaluyong City.
The campaign, #DapatPWEDE, takes off from the outrage and disappointment among many sectors over the EDSA busway station wheelchair ramp that violates the Accessibility Law or Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 (BP 344) for being too steep and dangerous for persons using wheelchairs.
Carla Henson, executive director of Life Haven CIL, described how public infrastructure that violates accessibility standards become a barrier to persons with disabilities. Access and mobility is a daily struggle for persons with disabilities in the Philippines who always have to check whether or not a venue for an event is on the ground floor, is accessible for wheelchair users, has wide enough doorways to accommodate mobility devices, and other factors.
“Dapat puwede kaming umattend sa birthday party, dapat puwede kaming sumabay sa public transportation, dapat puwede kami mag-aral, dapat pwede kami makilahok sa komunidad,” she said during the launch.
(We should be able to attend birthday parties, take public transportation, study, fully participate in the community.)
Carmen Zubiaga of women with disabilities group WOW LEAP, said the EDSA Busway PhilAm Station ramp, now mockingly dubbed “Stairway to Heaven” and “Mt. PhilAm” by groups and netizens; and the ridiculously high EDSA-Kamuning Avenue footbridge (“Mt. Kamuning” or “Kamuning Range”), are only a few high-profile examples of non-inclusive public infrastructure.
“We really have to review the compliance of government [to the Accessibility Law]. Ano ba talaga ang root ng insensitivity nito in government? Kahit ano’ng education and ibigay mo sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and DOTr (Department of Transportation), kung ang private contractors na hina-hire nila ay walang alam, that is really useless,” she said.
(What is the root cause of government’s insensitivity? Whatever education you give to DPWH and DOTr, if the private contractors they hire don’t know anything, that is really useless.)
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) temporarily shut down the EDSA Busway PhilAm Station ramp after getting flak over it, adding the contractor would be improving it in response to citizens’ complaints.
#DapatPWEDE crowdsourcing campaign
To spread awareness about genuine accessibility and jeer violations of the Accessibility Law, Life Haven CIL launched #DapatPWEDE as a crowdsourcing campaign.
To participate, just take a photo of a building or facility that violates the Accessibility Law, and post the photo with its Google Maps pin of the location, a description of the violation, the hashtag #DapatPWEDE, and tag the @dapatpwede Instagram account.
The photos will be used to make postcard-like images that show how widespread the Accessibility Law violations are.
“Usually, post cards show the best of the best of a specific place. But our post cards will expose how inaccessible a place is,” said Henson in a mix of English and Filipino.
The inherent dignity of persons with disabilities
Other persons with disabilities shared their negative experiences with public infrastructure.
Dr Benjamin Bernandino, Life Haven CIL president, said badly built or non-existent sidewalks force persons with disabilities in wheelchairs to travel on roads dominated by cars, exposing them to air pollution and danger from fast-moving vehicles.
He recalls persons with disabilities being told: “Para wala nang problema, huwag na kayong lumabas. Para hindi na kayo mahirapan, stay na lang kayo sa bahay niyo.“
(So there is no problem, just don’t go out. So you don’t face difficulties, just stay home.)
But persons with disabilities have the same rights to freedom of movement as everyone else. They have the same right to full participation in their communities and to reach their full potential.
Kent Guevarra Galapin of RIP Stars PH, a youth accessibility rights advocate who is deaf, recalls being “shooed” by a guard at a mall when he approached them to inquire about his mall errand.
This shows how genuine accessibility does not stop at physical infrastructure, but must also be manifested in attitudes towards persons with disabilities.
National Council on Disability Affairs regional program coordinator Walter Alava was present at the campaign launch. On behalf of the government body, he expressed support for the campaign.
Accessibility advocates called for the finalization of new Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Accessibility Law, which hasn’t been updated since 1994. A draft IRR has been circulating among various groups for months but is yet to be signed by the secretaries of DOTr and DPWH.
They also called on the full implementation of the Inclusive Education Law or Republic Act 11650 which is supposed to ensure Philippine schools are physically accessible and provide a safe and inclusive learning environment. – Rappler.com
Genuine accessibility is important in making cities truly liveable. Rappler has a dedicated space for stories and campaigns about improving quality of life in Philippine cities, starting with the problematic capital region. Check out our #MakeManilaLiveable movement here.