WAYS OF DLSU-D TO ADDRESS CONCERNS
OF STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

September 2008
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Historically, people with disabilities are being deprived of quality education because of their condition. They have been pitied, ignored, and belittled. Many institutions have tried to ignore them with the judgmental view of the society looking down unfairly on these kinds of people. It is the educator’s obligation to open the minds of every student and empower them with knowledge that would equip them in facing the challenges in life. (Encarta, 2004).

It is the prime duty of an educator to teach students regardless of their condition. In situation wherein a teacher handles a student with disability, he/she should find ways in order to cope with the students’ needs, concentrating with his potential, not on his limitations. He must motivate and encourage the student to fulfill his duties notwithstanding his disabilities.

A child is considered as handicapped if he/she is unable to reach the limits of major life activities or the basic actions that everyone is capable of doing. For the reason that a child ahs abnormal or insufficient structures in their body. It is a physical or mental disorder in the body that affects each body system. This includes deafness, blindness, impairment in some body parts and psychological disorders. Children are qualified disabled if there are services offered to them that most children who can freely move and do normal activities are capable of (Turnbull, 1990).

People with physical disabilities have also the right to educational opportunities to accommodate the demands of their condition. They should also be treated equally so as not to degrade their dignity and rights as a person.

In a lighter view, the administration of DLSU-D also finds its way in order to fulfill their obligation in accommodating the needs and demands of their students in spite of their condition.

B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer the question:

1. What are the programs and facilities of DLSU-D that cater to the needs of physically disabled students?

C. Significance of the Study

• School Administration. This study would help the school administration to measure the efficiency of the programs and facilities designed for students with disabilities. It will enable them to know the ways on how they can further develop and establish appropriate actions for improvement. This will also bridge the gap between the students and the administration.

• Engineers and Architects of DLSU-D. This research paper would help both engineers and architects of DLSU-D to conceptualize designs and construct additional facilities and structures intended for the welfare of physically challenged Lasallians. This would also help determine and assess if the facilities currently established in the university is still sufficient and effective.

• Physically disabled students of DLSU-D. This study would raise awareness to students with disabilities of what DLSU-D offers that will support their condition. This will also give them a chance to see if the university is good enough in handling students like them. The programs created for their welfare would encourage and motivate them to continue studying and graduating in this university.

• Parents of students with disabilities. Having the background of the programs and facilities that the university offers for the disabled students will enable their parents to establish trust and confidence on the institution. They will be assured that the development of their children would be given priority and their talents and capacities honed with respect to their condition.

• Future researchers. This study would serve as an aid for the future researchers in making similar studies concerning physically disabled students. Topics and issues that have been discussed can contribute to the information on ways on how an institution like a university would accommodate the demands of physically challenged students. In line with this, the conditions of these students would ask for better and more effective programs and facilities for their use. Thus, results of this study would allow future researchers to determine the possible improvements and have a basis on the status of education of disabled students.

D. Scope and Limitation

The discussion of this study covers general practices, actions, programs and facilities of DLSU-D that address the concerns and needs of students with special condition especially those with physical disabilities. It comprises the deaf, mute, blind and lack of mobility. This research focused mainly on DLSU-D.

E. Materials and Methods

The research uses descriptive method in order to define and specify the different programs and facilities DLSU-D has to address the condition of students with disabilities.

Information collected was compiled through similar studies, personal accounts, articles and documents from different sources. Most of the data gathered were from interviews that were conducted within DLSU-D. The researchers interviewed the Vice Chancellor for Mission, External Affairs and Development (Dr. Myrna Ramos), Director of Student Development and Activities Office (Ms. Evelyn Perez), Chair of the Architecture Department (Ms. Daisy Pallatao), Faculty from the Physical Education Department (Dr. Josefina Servida) and Team Leader of Research and Linkages (Ms. Ma. Theresa Gochuico). Administrators and faculty members are the primary source of information due to the limited scope of the research. The people interviewed would help researchers strengthen the claim if the university truly addresses the needs of students with physical disabilities.

F. Definition of Terms

Disability. The outcome of the interaction between a person with an impairment of health condition and the negative barriers of the environment. (ADB, 2008)

Impairment. A characteristic and condition of an individual’s body and mind, which unsupported has limited, does limit or will limit that individual’s personal or social functioning in comparison with someone who has not got that characteristic or condition. (ADB, 2008)

Mobility impairment. The difficulty of moving around.

Physically Challenged. A person having a physical disability or impairment especially one that limits mobility.

Physically Disabled. A person with disability, which limits or impairs the ability to walk as determined by a licensed physician.

Chapter 2 DISCUSSION

Programs and facilities are created to aid the physically disabled as they venture out into the world. Institutions like DLSU-D should help disabled Lasallians to easily cope with their situation and let them experience opportunities enjoyed by others.

Programs of DLSU-D for Students with Physical Disabilities

Disabled people must be given adequate support and receive enough attention to be able to show their talents be it in their intellectual or physical capacity to reach their maximum potential (http://www.adborg/documents/reports/disabled_People_Development_Philippines.pdf).

Indifference could be traced back many years ago, many opportunities particularly education for disabled children were seldom overlooked and at times are not practiced. Based on the information gathered by the Congress, it was evident that almost half of the total number of handicapped children did not experience proper and suitable education and some of them never experienced any. This is definitely considered as a problem and a desecration in the rights of equal education. There are two particular practices that are defined. One is the exclusion wherein children did not receive any programs for the reason that the programs were inappropriate and irresponsive. Children in this kind of practice were being refused of receiving proper education. It is the absence of appropriate programs. This also occurs when there are specified numbers of students that are to be educated. Meaning many children will be excluded because they fail to reach the limited number of the students that are being accepted. Another practice is the classification. This happens when the children are misclassified because of their condition. This unfair classification occurs when disabled students are isolated from the normal group (Turnbull, 1990).

Programs intended for students with physical disabilities should conform to the following guidelines according to the Free Appropriate Public Education which is being practiced in some Western countries:

1. Establishment of various educations for disabled student must be done without discrimination. 2. Specific educational programs that are suitable for the disabled students must be developed and implemented. 3. Programs for children should be prepared wherein children won’t feel that they are isolated. 4. Parents must be informed about the records of their children. 5. Parents of disabled children can give and suggest proposals about their ideas on the activities for their children through meetings and hearings (Turnbull, 1990).

National priorities directed for the opportunities of disabled are created and promoted by the Philippine Plan of Action. The aim of the Plan is to improve, reinforce, expand and maintain different activities meant for realizing the full participation, contribution and equality of disabled persons. With this goal, all programs and services related to people with disabilities shall intend to:

• Develop and prolong various activities and policies for the practice and improvement towards better access to education, health/medical, vocational/technical training, employment, social and other services; • Execute existing laws and pass more laws which will protect and defend the right to full and equal participation and contribution of people with disabilities in all aspects of life in the community; • Systematize associations and organizations of, and for, the majority of the disabled. There should be a place for the people with disabilities could be engaged and encouraged for the formulation of laws and progression of programs which are for their betterment; • Make available self-directed, community-based services where its purpose must prioritize independent living; • People with disabilities should develop their sense of responsibility not only for themselves but also for their families, their community and the environment; • Create broad and full baseline information for efficient planning, execution and monitoring of programs (http://www.apcdproject.org/countryprofile/philippines/situation.html).

Certain laws focus on the rights and privileges of people who have physical limitations and disabilities. This includes rights that must be observed by all institutions as well as government agencies. The content of these laws gives importance on the right of every person to be educated and experience the enjoyment of all the faculties of life regardless of their condition.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and are equal in dignity and rights. Everyone is entitled of various rights regardless of age, race, sex and disability. Filipinos with disabilities are no exception to these rights. National Legislation has provided the protection of basic human rights—political and civil rights for all citizens, including those with disabilities (httpwww.adb.orgDocumentsConferenceDisability_Developmentphi.pdf).

According to Republic Act No. 7277, which is an act on providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled person and their integration into the mainstream of society and for other purposes in its Section 12, the state shall ensure that disabled people are provided with access to quality education and sufficient opportunities to develop their skills. The state shall also promote the provision by learning institutions, especially higher learning institutions of auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process. Section 17 also notes that if viable and needed, the state university or state college in each region or province shall be responsive for the development of material appliances and technical aid for disabled persons, the construction or provision of training materials for educational rehabilitation and special education instructions, the research on special problems, particularly of the visually impaired, hearing impaired, and orthopedically impaired students and others and the elimination of social barriers and discrimination against disabled persons(http://www.doh.gov.ph/ra/ra7277).

DLSU-D as an institution whose mission is to educate and harness the students’ talents has the responsibility to create efficient and effective programs that would help in developing the personality and characteristics of their students. These programs would also assist them by responding to their needs.

Due to the small number of students currently enrolled in DLSU-D that possess characteristics of being physically disabled, the school has no present programs intended for them. According to Ms. Evelyn Perez, Director of Student Development and Activities Office (SDAO), “As of now there is no program that is specifically given to students with physical disabilities”. The researchers have inquired on the different departments of the University, and discovered that only seminars organized by the Lasallian Community Development Center (LCDC) came close in attending to the needs of the physically disabled students. The seminars were usually held during the celebration of the National Deaf Awareness Month. Lectures were made for the students of different Deaf Schools. The volunteer teachers and students of DLSU-D learned how to use sign language for them to easily interact with the deaf. Aside from these seminars, there are no further programs currently initiated by the school administration directly answering the concerns of their students with disabilities.

DLSU-D may not have enough programs focusing on their students with physical disabilities. Nevertheless, the university, through its departments, strives hard in coping with the current condition that the physically disabled Lasallians are experiencing. Thus, the Physical Education Department offers adapted P.E. classes. The course’s objective is to constitute the phases of physical education program to meet the student’s individualized needs. The inadequacies and functional defects of students will be improved through a variety of training exercises and activities that are conceptualized according to the student’s condition in order to develop their total personality. The adapted P.E class’ activities are modified in such a way that it would suit the state of students enrolled in that certain course especially those with disabilities.

According to Ms. Josefina Servida, a faculty from the Physical Education Department that teaches adapted P.E. class, the instructors are the ones who reach out to their students by knowing the situation they are in through proper interaction with them. They create certain programs depending on the condition of the student that they are supervising. Compared to those students who are taking conventional P.E. classes, the intensity of the exercises and activities intended for those with disabilities are lessen. Certain works are given to them such as doing researches and being the referee committee during ball games in which they will be the one to score or officiate in the game. The school has entrusted the responsibility of attending to these needs to the professor by hands-on support and assistance to the students.

Facilities of DLSU-D Designed for Students with Physical Disabilities

Batas Pambansa No. 344 also known as the Accessibility Law is an act dedicated to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments, and public utilities to install facilities and other devices that will lessen their burden of moving around. This act mandates every architect to integrate facilities for the benefit of the disabled (http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/intl/z15/z15007le/z1500712.htm). The planning for certain facilities and architectural designs for easy access of people with disabilities should be a part of the design phase of any building construction to give importance in manufacturing a disabled-friendly establishment (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF55.pdf). There must be sufficient financial budget allotted for the implementation of programs and facilities for the disabled. The cause should also be in the perspective of the government and the private sectors as well (http://www.adborg/documents/reports/disabled_People_Development/Philippines.pdf).

Other practices comprise incomplete support from the government when it comes to cooperating on the improvement of structures on different institutions, specifically for disabled students. Various kinds of appropriate materials and facilities are insufficient. Even professional educators that have studied special courses to teach students with physical limitations are very rare. It is also unusual for a teacher to have availability, skills and passion for such children. Financing administration and treatment for handicapped children is very far from the education of non-handicapped children (Turnbull, 1990).

According to Ms. Daisy Pallatao, Chair of the Architectural Department, the facilities created for the physically disabled students primarily on the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) are the ramps, fully air-conditioned rooms as well as acoustically designed audio-visual rooms and the planned elevator for ease of access to higher rooms of students who are having the difficulties in going up and down the building’s story. Pavers and sidewalks intended for passageway makes it easier for disabled to move around the campus.

The University Student Council (USC), in coordination with the Parents Organization La Salle Cavite (POLCA) has managed to create a system of transportation called Ikot La Salle that makes it easier for the students to go around the campus.

Improvements of the University’s facilities include the on-going process of constructing elevators for the purpose of effortless access within the buildings of DLSU-D. The planned construction of elevators in the buildings of the College of Business Administration (CBA) and College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) makes it accessible for students due to its number of floors. The enhancement of the rooms to make it more acoustically designed is also considered for the high quality of sound. The continuation of the unpainted rooms should be directed to make the rooms presentable and the quality of the sound conducive for learning. Ms. Pallatao added that campus planning is important to evaluate if the buildings are constructed in the right place and in which no possible disturbance for the students’ efficiency of learning should take place or be encountered.

Thus, the Batas Pambansa No. 344 suggests that the basic physical planning requirements are: • Accessibility • Reachability • Usability • Orientation • Safety • Workability and Efficiency

Other practices include incomplete support from the government when it comes to cooperating on improvement of structures on different institutions, specifically for disabled students. Various kinds of appropriate materials and facilities are insufficient. Even professional educators are very rare when it comes to availability, skills and voluntariness. Financing administration and treatment for handicapped children is very far from the education of non-handicapped children (Turnbull, 1990).

Chapter 3 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This research paper attempted to determine the ways of DLSU-D to address concerns of students with physical disabilities.

The research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data from documents and interviews were used to answer the research question posed. The research findings are the following:

1. All Lasallians regardless of their condition should be given enough support and attention to showcase their talents.
2. Physically disabled students have the right to equal educational opportunities.
3. Republic Act No. 7277 is an act on providing rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled person and their integration into the mainstream of the society.
4. Batas Pambansa No.344 also known as the Accessibility Law is an act dedicated to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments and public utilities to install facilities for the use and benefit of persons with disabilities.
5. DLSU-D has its own ways and strategies to improve and integrate the standards of education of physically disabled students.

Conclusions

In general, findings acquired from the study are the following:

1. There are no specific programs currently established and intended for the benefit of physically disabled Lasallians.
2. All the minimum requirements for an accessible educational institution can readily be compiled with by the administration of DLSU-D.
3. The administration of DLSU-D only creates and establishes certain programs and facilities if the situation requires so.
4. The administration of DLSU-D is not yet fully equipped and prepared to respond if the number of the physically disabled students in the University will increase due to the curriculum currently practiced.

Recommendations

After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researchers hereby made their own recommendations and suggestions for improvement:

1. The administration of DLSU-D should develop and design programs that are specifically directed to address the concerns of students with physical disabilities.
2. The administration of DLSU-D should try to modify their curriculum to suit the demands of students with physical disabilities.
3. The administration of DLSU-D should consider the installation of ramps at entrances of buildings as well as grab bars beside urinals and toilet bowls. It is the least that the administrators of DLSU-D could do to give disabled persons access to the nooks and corners of the social mainstream and should be implemented as soon as the budget for its construction is available.
4. Upon renovation, widening of entrances and doors according to the legal specifications should be prioritized by the administration of DLSU-D.
5. Height above the floor of switches and controls could likewise then be the adjustments made by the administration of DLSU-D in accordance to the requirement of Batas Pambansa No. 344 or the Accessibility Law.
6. Upon the installation of the different access features, graphic signs at entrances and exits, toilets and washrooms and other rooms within the University should also be added or installed by the personnel of DLSU-D with authorization from the administration.

References:

A. Book

Castaldi, B. (1994). Educational facilities: Planning, modernization and management. (4th ed).USA: Allyn and Bacon Publication.

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Turnbull, R. (1990). Free appropriate public education: Law and children with disabilities. USA: Love Publishing Company.

B. Journals, Newspaper Articles and Magazines

Baylon, C. (October 2004). “My daughter is deaf, mute, blind, and happy.” Good Housekeeping Philippines, 7(9), 90-92.

Burness, M. (Mar-Apr 2001). “Access and opportunity.” Leadership, 30(4), 32-33.

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Zamora, F. (2005, March 6). “Sports proves that disabled can.” Philippine Daily Inquirer, A1 and A2.

Deaf and mute seminar held. (1998, November 1-15). DLSU-D Newsette, 9(11), 6.

LCDC celebrates deaf awareness month. (2004, November 15-20). DLSU-D Newsette, 14(25), 3.

LCDC listens to the deaf. (1998, June 15-30). DLSU-D Newsette, 9(2), 4.

C. Electronic Media

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Disabled persons act. (2006). Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF55.pdf.

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Accessibility Law. (1982). Retrieved August 5, 2008, from http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/intl/z15/z15007le/z1500712.htm.

Philippines country study. Retrieved September 1, 2008, from http://www.adb.org/Documents/Conference/Disability_Development/phi.pdf.

People with disabilities. (2004). Retrieved July 12, 2008, from Encarta.

Asia-pacific development center on disability. Retrieved September 1, 2008, from http://www.apcdproject.org/countryprofile/philippines/situation.html.