BREAKING BARRIERS FOR CAGAYAN YAWDs

The great multitude of children who are not able to go to school worldwide (UNESCO, 2005) due to poverty makes it impossible to achieve universal education as endorsed by 180 countries in the Millennium Development Goals.

Based from studies conducted, youth with disabilities in developing countries are not able to go to school due to the fact that disability is always associated with extreme poverty. This thwarts their opportunity to acquire human capital that will allow them to have possibilities to earn incomes as adults or grownups. The impact of keeping disabled young adults at home and economically inactive, denying them education and members of their families being also kept at home to take care of them all contribute significantly to the poverty of persons with disabilities and their families in general.

The partnership of SPUP KDC and KAMPI’s (Katipunan ng mga Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, Inc.) Breaking Barriers for Young Adults with Disabilities Project aims to ensure that the Young Adults with Disabilities (YAWDs) of Cagayan shall be included in the development equation, not only to improve their economic and social welfare but because they themselves can contribute to the development process of the province. This partnership will explore innovative possibilities to break the physical, cultural and other barriers which hinder their development to be productive and contributing members of their families, communities and societies. It will help them to gain rightful employment through trainings, workshops and inclusive education in tertiary education.

YAWDs of Cagayan have a great deal to offer society and can contribute significantly when given the opportunity. In the activities that will be conducted, they are expected to develop career awareness and work skills that will enable them to live an independent and productive life as well as getting into a stable relationship and having a family of their own. It will help them to interact freely in the locality and will make them realize that they are accepted as members of the society and that their existence is not a barrier to development.

The projects in the partnership will help them pursue and secure real economic opportunities including access to financial institutions, private corporations, government and non-governmental institutions. It will help them to obtain compensation, privileges, benefits, fringe benefits, incentives or allowances as a qualified able bodied person.

This partnership shall raise awareness and increase the capacity of all local governmental entities, parents, disabled persons and the community to develop YAWDs towards achieving their full potentials.

REFERENCES

Ilagan, Venus M. “Breaking the Barriers: Enabling Children with Disabilities in the Philippines”. Development Outreach: Putting Knowledge to Work for Development. July 2005: 22.

“Education for All”. (2008). Quezon City: Katipunan ng Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, Inc.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (2008). Quezon City: Katipunan ng Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, Inc.