As the nation marks the National Disability Rights Week from July 17 to 23, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is exploring partnerships with learning institutions to ensure more persons with disabilities (PWDs) can access education and eventually secure employment.
“We have partnership forums with state universities and colleges (SUCs) para makatulong sa researches on ano yung mga need natin na mga move for education sa ating mga (to help in researching what moves we need to do for the education of) persons with disabilities,” NCDA Regional Programs Coordinator, lawyer Walter Jason Alava, told reporters in a media forum at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City on Thursday.
The proposed collaboration, which aligns with the celebration’s theme “Innovation for Inclusion: Building Inclusive Communities Together”, aims to bridge the gap between education and employment of persons with disabilities.
Despite the provision of Republic Act 10524 that at least 1 percent of available positions in government agencies, offices or corporations shall be reserved for persons with disabilities, Alava acknowledged that there are still challenges in terms of their qualifications.
“In terms of qualification, doon tayo nagkakaroon ng (that’s where we are facing) challenges and gaps because most of our persons with disabilities ay hindi po nakapag-aral (have no education). So, we are moving to forge partnership forums with SUCs and schools para matulungan tayo to augment yung kakulangan sa education (to help us augment the gaps in education),” he said.
He said the NCDA is now in talks with SUCs and other educational institutions to roll out inclusive programs that will offer scholarships and other opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities.
The NCDA spokesperson said the council also links PWDs to companies offering job opportunities such as business process outsourcing (BPOs), courier services, and restaurants, among others.
“Hindi naman tayo [namimili] kung anong klaseng disability. So long as mag-submit sila ng application nila and the company will hire them, we will help them process na makakuha sila ng job (We are not selective as to the nature of their disabilities. So long as they submit an application and the company hires them, we will help them process to get the job),” Alava said.
As part of the National Disability Rights Week celebration, the NCDA and its partners are organizing job fairs for persons with disabilities on July 18 in Cebu City and on July 22 in Cagayan de Oro. (PNA)