Rappler's latest stories on persons with disabilities
[PODCAST] I've Got An Opinion: PWDs deserve respect – even if they don't look disabled
Many persons with disabilities don’t physically look disabled. Sometimes, that makes it even harder for them to get the help they need.
[OPINION] Why the emergency subsidy program affects PWDs the hardest
'News reports [indicate] how PWDs suffered from their attempt to avail of the subsidy benefit, such as lining up despite excruciating pain for the entire day'
Forgotten priority: PWDs still waiting for cash aid from Duterte gov't
Months after the Duterte government launched its cash aid program, there are still persons with disabilities – the target priorities for the program – who have yet to receive a peso
'Walang konsiderasyon': Despite illness, PWD made to claim subsidy at DSWD office
Roy Moral, who struggles to walk without feeling immense pain, shares how he had to be wheeled to the local DSWD office in a stretcher just so he could receive his emergency subsidy
Meet Jollibee's senior and differently-abled service crew
You may find them working at company-owned branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Burger King, and Red Ribbon in Manila and Pasay
Manila requires fast food restaurants to hire seniors, PWDs
Under the ordinance, senior citizens, differently-abled persons, and PWDs 'will not be assigned tasks that are hazardous to their health or beyond their physical limitations or capabilities'
[OPINION] A life of surrender: Living with interstitial lung disease
'I am mentally and emotionally driven to keep going after small and big wins'
Organizations, businesses collaborate for PWD inclusivity in the workplace
PRESS RELEASE: Philippine Business and Disability Network works towards more inclusive and barrier-free workplaces for Persons with Disability
[OPINION] Dancing onstage while on the autism spectrum
Sometimes, I do odd stuff such as stomping my feet loudly or rubbing my hands to combat my nervousness. I wish that one day, I get to really control this stage fright and rediscover my talents anew.
[OPINION] Life with Noonan syndrome: If others can, then why can't I?
I have imperfections, but that doesn't mean I can't make my life meaningful
[OPINION] From physical therapist to PWD: How one father dealt with dermatomyositis
'The tides had changed. From being a physical therapist, I was now the patient who had to be lifted from bed.'
[OPINION] Rejection is the norm for PWDs, especially in the job market
'Over and over I’d hear lines of rejection from one employer after another. I was rejected not once, not twice, but more than 30 times!'
[OPINION] Muscles shrinking, hope expanding: A life of physical paralysis
'I know that in our little way we can still do something, that we can have jobs and earn a living, but for a time I only believed this to be a dream'
[OPINION] Seeing the good in me: My achievements as a deaf man
When I was a child, I enjoyed listening to beautiful melodies – I loved this so very much. So when I became deaf at 8 years old, I didn't want to accept it. It was difficult.
[OPINION] My life as a completely blind Filipino entrepreneur and tech developer
When Marx was a 23-year-old UP student, he was gunned down by a stranger, an attack that left him completely blind. Years later, he is a tech entrepreneur making bold solutions for fellow blind Filipinos.
[OPINION] What it's like to live with hearing loss
We don’t want to be laughed at just because we misheard a conversation. You give us respect, and respect will be earned.
#AskTheTaxWhiz: VAT exemptions, discounts for PWDs
The Philippine Tax Whiz discusses the discounts available to persons with disabilities and which items are exempt from value-added tax
Isko Moreno, fast food chains sign pact to employ seniors, PWDs
Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and Greenwich commit to employ 2 senior citizens and one person with disability for each of their branches in Manila
[OPINION] We are more than our disabilities
A person with disability tackles inclusivity and a high-performing culture
Not disabled, but differently abled
This cafe's strongest asset is the people other companies are too scared to hire
Do PWDs, senior citizens have access to special polling places?
Some PWDs and senior citizens are still denied of their right to vote in designated special polling places
IN PHOTOS: Senior citizens, PWDs vote in accessible polling places
Emergency Accessible Polling Place makes the voting process more accessible and easier for PWDs, senior citizens, and heavily pregnant women
How elections are made accessible to PWDs and senior citizens
The law may be in place, but much more should be done to make elections accessible to all
[OPINION] Inclusive elections in May 2019? Let's manage expectations
'Government response to access issues must be holistic and decisive; Otherwise the same issues will keep resurfacing every 3 years'
PWDs appeal to Comelec for ‘barrier-free’ elections
Disability sector representatives assert there's more that can be done to make the elections accessible to people with disabilities
QC establishments to provide courtesy seats for PWDs, pregnant women, seniors
Private establishments that fail to implement the new policy will face fines and business permit suspension or revocation
Companies hiring PWDs to join Makati job fair
Mayor Abigail Binay says even non-residents of Makati can come to the job fair on November 9
DOTr apologizes for 'embarrassing' MRT incident with PWD passenger
The passenger's mother accused security guards of discriminating against persons with learning disabilities
Makati City spends P30M as of September this year for free movies of seniors, PWDs
All in all, Makati earmarks P40 million in 2018 for free movie tickets
Rep Wes Gatchalian apologizes for car blocking PWD ramp
Valenzuela 1st District Representative Wes Gatchalian issues a public apology but some netizens say he should do more
PWDs may soon receive mandatory PhilHealth coverage
The House of Representatives approves its version of the bill on October 8, while the Senate already gave its nod to the measure in July
CHR investigating 'appalling, unacceptable' mockery of deaf people on video
(UPDATED) The investigation follows a complaint against Mocha Uson and Drew Olivar from the Philippine Federation of the Deaf
Nancy Binay to Mocha Uson: It's a crime to make fun of PWDs
The senator calls out the government's communications official for 'mocking the people she serves'
Vo Thi Hoang Yen: Opening doors for Vietnam's PWDs
2018 Ramon Magsaysay awardee Vo Thi Hoang Yen, a survivor of childhood polio, wants employers to see what persons with disabilities can do if given the opportunity
Japan confesses to padding disability hiring data
Thousands of able-bodied employees at 27 ministries and government agencies were wrongly counted as disabled, Tokyo admits
Giving up not an option for persons with disabilities in Western Visayas
Four PWDs in Western Visayas have given a face to the struggles commonly experienced by their sector in the Philippines
PH still far from becoming PWD-inclusive, says UP study
Only 60% of local government units have a Persons with Disability Office (PDAO), says a study by the UP-CLRG
Duterte signs executive order increasing disabled workers' pensions
Executive Order 54 provides a P1,150 across-the-board increase for all permanent disability pensioners in the private sector, as well as qualified beneficiaries in the public sector
Free LRT1 rides for women with disabilities on Monday, March 26
This is in celebration of Women with Disabilities Day observed on the last Monday of March
Sunflower farm in Quezon plants seeds of hope for PWDs
’We need to change the mindset that PWDs are limited and that they can’t do anything,’ says PWD advocate Rhodora Fresnedi
PWDs push for automatic PhilHealth coverage
The National Council on Disability Affairs says outpatient services should also be included in the coverage
How to buy products of craftsman born with no hands
If you buy one of his miniature tricycles, 'you are also helping others,' says Andy Villaruel, the Dumaguete craftsman born with no hands
Is it just really all in your head?
Mental conditions are real, and they have a biological basis – which means it has a parallel story inside your brain which deserves attention and treatment
Displaced 95-year-old person with disabilities sells potatoes to support family
People who have met Datu Mangontra Sultan do not see him as a person with disabilities and an internally displaced person, but as a strong and committed individual who wants to continue providing for his family
PAL now offers 20% discount for senior citizens, PWDs online
The discount applies to full-fare domestic flights and comes on top of the 12% value-added tax (VAT) exemption
Cebu Pacific honors 20% discount for senior citizens, PWDs online
The budget carrier upgrades its booking systems to implement the discount for domestic flights booked through its website or mobile app
Storytelling sessions held for children with special needs
Beneficiaries of the event include children with intellectual disabilities and hearing impairment aged 3 to 36 years old
Online jobs eyed as perfect opportunities for PWDs
The National Council on Disability Affairs trains persons with disabilities to make them qualified for job opportunities online
Japanese teacher boosts livelihood capacities of SPED graduates in Bohol
A former JICA volunteer Akiko Sugiyama goes back to Bohol to establish a livelihood training center for SPED graduates
Filipino PWD paddlers win gold in HK paradragon boat race
Beating 6 other teams the country’s first ever cross disability dragon boat racing team wins the race with a speed of one minute and 43 seconds
