The Department of Health reminded the public of the inclusivity of people with disabilities (PWDs) during its launch of National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.
Dr. Melaco Peña III, President of the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine, addressed the issue of discrimination against individuals with disability, particularly during employment.
“We put into mind the magna carta of the rights of the disabled wherein they are given equal access and opportunity to education, employment, health, and future plans of making a livelihood,” he said.
Peña reminded the event that physical rehabilitation is only one aspect of inclusivity and may be done at home for individuals who cannot afford rehabilitation medicine and treatment. Gabriellea B. Pariño
“We do not just add tears to life, but we add quality of life to those years,” he said, adding that intervention and education regarding rehabilitation are also important.
A person’s environment has a huge effect on the experience and extent of disability, with 16 percent of the world’s population currently experiencing significant disability according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Persons with disabilities face many health inequities: they die earlier, have poorer health and functioning, and are more affected by health emergencies than the general population. These inequities in health outcomes cannot only be explained by an underlying health condition or impairment but are driven by unfair and unjust factors that are avoidable,” a WHO report on the health equity for PWDs reads.
Recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on government agencies to address the challenges currently faced by PWDs.
“Continue your various advocacies that reduce prejudice and promote the acceptance and empowerment of our PWDs to eliminate stigma, discrimination, and exclusion,” Mr. Marcos said.
Around 1.9 million PWDs are within the working age for Filipinos, according to a study by the PSA Labor Force Survey in the previous year.
The study also indicates that there is a low labor force participation rate among PWDs, with around only 353,000 of these individuals participating in the workforce.