It is a sad societal fact – people who need more are often given less.

Despite massive global awareness campaigns on the rights and needs of persons with disabilities (PWD), many still remain clueless about it.

What happened last week aboard a Cebu Pacific flight was a classic example. On Dec. 23, a flight attendant asked Maritess Alcantara and her son John Arvin, a boy diagnosed with global developmental delay, to disembark the plane right before take off. The media got wind of the incident and soon, the matter was all over the newspapers and airwaves. Advocates of rights of PWDs were alarmed, certainly noting the incident as a giant step backward for their uphill crusade.

In an official statement, Cebu Pacific said that the airline company has no policy that discriminates against persons with special needs.

“The attempt to offload a passenger with developmental disability on a Dec. 23 flight from Hong Kong to Manila was a result of the cabin crew’s misinterpretation of government regulations designed to assure the safety of passengers.”

In the same statement, the airline shared it regrets of what happened and said that that apology has been given to the passengers. “It has also taken all the necessary measures to make sure similar incidents do not happen again and that passengers with special needs are properly attended
to.”

RESPECT AND COMPASSION

Autism Society Philippines (ASP) national president Dang Koe says that “more than abiding by the laws, decent people, and companies, know that treating everyone with respect and compassion, including those with disability, is a basic human law.

”In 2004, a similar incident of a “mishandled” teener with autism happened in one SM mall. “But instead of just releasing perfunctory statements and public apologies, the mall management started an aggressive program for persons with all kinds of disability – straight from the heart,” says Koe, referring to the establishment of the SM Disability Affairs Committee (SM-DAC) headed by SM president Annie Garcia and Eng. Bien Mateo. This aims to promote the welfare of persons with autism (PWA) through education, advocacy and support.

Since 2004, Koe says that the establishment has opened its doors to provide lectures on caring for special customers through autism orientations to around 14,000 mall guards, tenants, and SM personnel. With said committee, there is now a non-handicapping and barrier-free environment in all their malls.

Koe calls for other commercial establishments and enterprises to take their cue from institutions such as SM Malls when it comes to handling PWDs. “ASP and for sure other PWD groups will be more than willing to partner with them in educating their management and employees,” she says.

Gwen Pimentel, senatorial candidate, lawyer and president of the Association of Child-Caring Agencies of the Philippines, also expressed in a statement that there’s a greater need to raise public awareness of the rights of persons with special needs, especially children.

The daughter of Senator Nene Pimentel stressed that the incident should remind the authorities to exert efforts in informing and educating the people about the rights of special children and persons with disabilities in general against discrimination under existing laws.

Pimentel says while the reported public apology of airline management is welcomed, “the incident should prod the Cebu Pacific and other aviation firms to review their respective policies in accommodating persons with disabilities to ensure that their rights and dignity as human beings are not disregarded or undermined.”

A PUBLIC REMINDER

The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons or RA 7277 protects the rights of PWDs and ALL commercial establishments and conveyance firms are required to implement these.

Pimentel stated that the Cebu Pacific incident goes against what is cited in the Section 34 on public discrimination for the franchisees or operators and personnel of sea, land and air transportation to charge higher fare or to refuse to convey a passenger, his orthopedic devices, personal effects, and merchandise by transportation of the Republic Act 7277 that states: “It shall be considered
reason of his disability.”

The RA 7227 has also been amended and became Republic Act No. 9442 otherwise known as the “Magna Carta For Disabled Persons, And For Other Purposes” to give “other privileges and incentives” PWDs. Now, they are entitled to at least 20 percent discount from various establishments including restaurants, hotels, theaters, concert halls, drugstores, clinics and laboratories, air and sea travel companies, public railways, skyways and bus companies, etc.

PWDs are encouraged to obtain an identification card issued by the city or municipal mayor or the barangay captain, or secure a transportation discount fare Identification Card (ID) issued by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP).

Light Railway Transit Administration (LRTA) officer-in-charge for public relations Maria Kristina Cassion, says aside from the fare discount, PWDs are given the same benefits as senior citizens and are even allowed to use the special boarding area for LRTA officials and employees as well as for pregnant women and those that are traveling with young children.

THE BIGGER SCOPE

While most commercial establishments implement what are stated in these laws, many people remain ignorant on how to execute it.

For Rissa Santos, mother to a 16-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome, discrimination by the public and even by their own relatives, is one of the things that she has gotten used to.

A working mother, Rissa doesn’t have much time to update herself on the issues that concern her child such as getting a PWD ID. “Hindi ko nga alam yun eh, tinanong lang ako sa isang fast food nung kumain kami kung meron ID yung anak ko kasi may discount daw,” she says. Rissa readily applied for the said card to avail of its privileges for her daughter.

Minda Reyes, on the other hand, is hesitant to get the ID card for his son with mental retardation. “Kasi pakiramdam ko, may kapansanan na nga, parang lalo pang napapansin kung may ganon siya.” When asked if she was aware of the rights of her child, Minda tells that for as long as they are with him, “kami na lang ang magbabantay sa kanya.”

Both mothers feel that more than the discounts and the special treatment that their children will get, they hope the people in the society will be kinder and more understanding.

“Marami pa rin kasi na parang walang pakialam o hindi nakakaintindi lalo na sa mga mataong lugar kaya minsan di na lang kami masyado lumalabas. Para sa amin, yung patas na tingin lang, tama na,” they plead.