CONTENTS
I.
Foreword ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3
II.
Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4
III.
IV.
Annexes
A. General Guidelines on the Admission of Trainees/
Students with Disabilities in Post-Secondary
Institutions in the Philippines ----------------------------- 22
B. Glossary ---------------------------------------------------------- 24
C. List of Resource Centers ----------------------------------- 27
D. Relevant References ----------------------------------------- 29
E. List of Participating Agencies in Workshops and
Meetings ------------------------------------------------------ 62
FOREWORD
In the Asia-Pacific International Seminar on Education for Individuals
with Special Needs held in Yokohama, Japan in December 2007, the
participants held in consensus that the Education for All (EFA) goals on
inclusive education for children and youth with special needs be
implemented by all countries worldwide.
In developing countries like the Philippines, however, there are still
instances of persons with disabilities not being admitted in colleges and
universities due mainly to seemingly lack of information and preparation by
the school administrators and teachers alike on how to handle students
with disabilities, thus resulting to loss of opportunity to enjoy their right to
education.
This prompted the then National Council for the Welfare of Disabled
Persons, now the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) through its
Sub-Committee on Education, to initiate the development of Guidelines in
the Admission of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education and PostSecondary Institutions. This initiative aims to generate useful information
that school personnel can use to respond to the needs of students with
disabilities. To further enrich these outputs, a series of consultative
writeshops were held involving the members of the Sub-Committee and
resource persons on different types of disability and from the academic
community.
The enriched outputs are now compiled into this publication with a
big hope that its end-users will be able to put it to good use every time they
will have a student with disability in their schools. This set of guidelines
contains basic information on how to make the learning environment both
convenient and beneficial to students with disabilities as well as to school
personnel. It also has a list of resource centers catering to different types
of disability, which can be referred to in order to meet the needs of
students with disabilities.
This publication is a fruit of hard labor. It was produced to respond
to the continuing pursuit of making persons with disabilities become
productive individuals and partners in nation building. Putting this into
reality lies greatly on the hands of the people who will use it and will take
pride in taking part in the noble advocacy that goes with it.
INTRODUCTION
When the United Nations (UN) declared the International Year of Disabled
Persons in 1981, universal policies on special education (SPED) for children and youth
with special needs were adopted to suit their needs. These efforts of the UN gradually
advanced and moved towards the attainment of a barrier-free, inclusive and rights-based
society for persons with disabilities for their full participation, equality and protection of
their human rights, including their right to education.
In 1990, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) declared and launched the Education for All movement through an
International Conference held in Jomtien, Thailand. The movement recognizes that
every child, youth and adult has the right to meet their basic learning needs, in the best
and fullest sense of the term that include learning to know, to do, to live together and to
be. One hundred fifty seven (157) governments throughout the world subscribed to the
vision of this Declaration. Ten years later, a World Education Forum was held in Dakar,
Senegal where 182 countries affirmed their commitment to support in achieving the
goals of Education for All by the year 2015.
In 2007, special education experts on higher education viewed the following
provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) that
will ensure maximum independence and ability of persons with disabilities, such as: (1)
countries are to provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services in the
areas of health, employment and education (Article 26), and (2) that member states shall
ensure equal access of persons with disabilities to primary and secondary education,
vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning (Article 24).
In the Philippines, the following laws and policies were crafted to ensure and
safeguard the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities to have access to
education:
a.
1987 Constitution of the Philippines. Under Article XIV, Section 1,
thereof, it clearly provides that The State shall protect and promote the
right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all;
b.
Republic Act No. 7277 or the 1992 Magna Carta for Disabled
Persons. As stipulated under Chapter 2, Section 12, thereof it clearly
provides that The State shall ensure that disabled persons are provided
with adequate access to quality education and ample opportunities to
develop their skills. It shall take appropriate steps to make such education
accessible to all disabled persons. It shall be unlawful for any learning
institutions to deny a disabled person admission to any course it offers by
reason of handicap or disability.
Furthermore, it states that The State shall take into consideration the
special requirements of disabled persons in the formulation of educational
policies and programs. It shall encourage learning institutions to take into
account the special needs of disabled persons with respect to the use of
school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements and
other pertinent consideration.
The State shall also promote the provision by learning institutions,
especially higher learning institutions, of auxiliary services that will
facilitate the learning process for disabled persons.
c.
Republic Act No. 9442, An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7277,
Otherwise Known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. Under
Chapter 8, Section 32, letter h, thereof, it clearly provides that
Educational assistance to persons with disability, for them to pursue
primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary as well as vocational or technical
education, in both public and private schools, through the provision of
scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to
qualified persons with disability including support for books, learning
materials and uniform allowance to the extent feasible: Provided, That
persons with disability shall meet minimum admission requirements;
d.
B. School Admission:
The deaf and hard of hearing High School graduates, including those who
passed and qualified in the Accreditation Equivalency Test being administered by
the Bureau of Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education shall
be admitted in any higher/post secondary educational institution provided they
pass the admission requirements of the school given reasonable
accommodations.
Deaf People and Human Rights, by Ms. Hilde Haualand and Mr. Colin Allen for the World Federation of
the Deaf and the Swedish National Association of the Deaf, 2009
2
Deafness 101, by Peggy Brooks funded by the PostSecondary Education Consortium for the University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, 1999
3
Ibid
4
Article 24 (3b) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
3.
4.
5.
students
in
co-
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
10
The neurocognitive profiles in both groups (AS and HFA) are very
uneven. In the older adolescent or young adult pursuing higher education,
there will be specific deficits in verbal comprehension or general
understanding of both verbal and nonverbal concepts and relative
strengths in visual motor and visual spatial processing. Academic
problems related to inattention and lack of focus, an inability to complete
homework, and weak areas in problem solving, abstract conceptual
learning and generating creative solutions to complex problems have been
described (Prior, 2003). However, what often remains neglected are the
social impairments and poor understanding of social situations where rules
of social conduct are not appreciated. They may make inappropriate
comments on others looks, behavior and may intrude on other peoples
privacy or conversations giving an impression of being rude, inconsiderate
or spoiled (Attwood, 1998)
A.3 The Learner with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)
The diagnosis of AD/HD in the adolescent or young adult entering
post secondary education hinges primarily on reports of functioning during
childhood. (Barkley, 2006) Apart from the core symptoms of AD/HD, which
include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, there should be clear
impairment across many domains. Adults with AD/HD are also prone to
suffer from a wide range of co morbid conditions some of which are
secondary to AD/HD related frustration and failure. Many psychiatric
disorders are also observed like various forms of depression, anxiety
disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AD/HD is considered a biologically based, educational disability where
there is a problem of sustaining attention, effort and motivation and
inhibiting behavior in a consistent manner over time. Hence, deficits in
specific skill areas (academic, social and organizational) are common
among students with AD/HD. It is often harder for students with AD/HD to
do the same academic work not because they lack the skill but because
they lack the structure and exhibit the same social behavior expected of
other students.
B. School Admission
Individuals with learning disabilities, including those who passed and qualified
in the Accreditation Equivalency Test being administered by the Bureau of
Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education shall be admitted in
any higher/post-secondary educational institution based on the following
considerations:
1. Pass the admission requirements of the school given appropriate
reasonable accommodation, such as but not limited to the following:
Flexibility in terms of time (additional time to answer) and rules (may be
allowed to stand up once in a while or get out of the room) to address the
problems of inattention and hyperactivity.
12
13
14
15
16
B. School Admission
Individuals with physical disabilities, including those who passed and qualified
in the Accreditation Equivalency Test being administered by the Bureau of
Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education shall be admitted in
any higher/post secondary educational institution provided they pass and comply
with the admission requirements of the school and/or training center given
reasonable accommodations.
17
18
B. School Admission
Visually impaired students, including those who passed and qualified in
the Accreditation Equivalency Test being administered by the Bureau of
Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education shall be admitted in
any higher/post secondary educational institution in accordance with the general
admission requirements of the School given reasonable accommodation such as
the administration of test in Braille format or in oral-type.
19
The following open source/links once accessed may be useful to facilitate the
education of students with visual impairments:
free screen reader thunder (http://www.screenreader.net/)
jaws (http://www.freedomscientific.com)
NVDA
www.nvda-project.org/ - Orca - GNOME Live!
http://live.gnome.org/Orca
F. Curriculum Program
Given reasonable accommodations, students with visual impairments can do
adaptations to fulfill the requirements of the prescribed curriculum for every course.
Teachers are encouraged to be more descriptive in delivering lessons for every
subject, like visual aids for the seeing, tactile aids materials that could be touched
for visualization and ebooks/audio books that could enhance learning of students
with visual impairment. Physical Education (PE) subjects in every curriculum may be
modified to enable students with visual impairments to comply with requirements.
20
21
22
MANDATORY ASSESSMENT
The school/training center shall adopt the policy of mandatory skills
assessment to all trainee/students as a prerequisite to graduate from any
post-secondary technical vocational course/qualification. The mandatory
assessment must be conducted by an accredited and independent
assessor in the said qualification.
The conduct of mandatory assessment provides both the institution
and the student to measure the level of knowledge and skill
learned/acquired by student/trainee using a TESDA sanctioned
assessment instrument and procedures. However, the result of said
assessment should not preclude the student/trainee to be considered as
graduate after completion and compliance to its requirement.
23
GLOSSARY
Accommodations is aptly described in the Teaching Students who
have disabilities Resource and Guidebook (1995) Developed by the
Advisory Committee on Campus and Program Accessibility by the
Disabled of Brocke University Surgite, Ontario, Canada5
Accommodations are alterations made in the way information is
presented, in the deadlines students have to complete requirements, or in
the manner in which their knowledge of course material is examined.
Accommodations are recommended to enable students with disabilities to
demonstrate knowledge, without the interference of disability, to the extent
that this is possible. Accommodations are meant to create a fair
academic setting for students with disabilities, when compared to the
others in their classes, fair does not always mean equal, and they need
accommodations to be able to learn and to demonstrate their knowledge.
Thus, accommodations to remove barriers of communication and to
facilitate academic participation can make a difference in the students
ability to fulfill course requirements
Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder - the essential feature of AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or
hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically
observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. (DSM-IV)
Autism Spectrum Disorder Note: Autism spectrum disorders and pervasive
developmental disorders are used synonymously. IDEA 2004 Definition of Autism. A
developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal
communication and social interaction, usually evident before age 3 that
adversely affects a childs educational performance. Other characteristics
often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and
stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or in daily
routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not
apply if the childs educational performance is adversely affected because the
child has an emotional disturbance. References. Lerner,J.W. (2005). Learning Disabilities:
th
Theories, diagnosis and teaching strategies.(10 ed.). Boston:Houghton Mifflin and Smith, D. (2007).
Introduction to Special Education. Boston:Allyn and Bacon.
Blind - those who have a visual acuity of 20/200 of 6/60 or less in the better
eye after maximum correction or who have a visual field which subtended an
angle of 20 degrees or less in the widest diameter
Cerebral Palsy - a static encephalopathy caused by an insult to the
premature brain, leading to a global dysfunction, which always includes
problems with motor function (movements).
http://www.cosc.brocku.ca/Faculty/Radue/disabilities/default.html
24
GLOSSARY
Communication - includes languages, display of text, Braille, tactile
communication, large print, accessible multimedia as well as written, audio,
plain-language, human-reader and augmentative and alternative modes,
means and formats of communication, including accessible information and
communication technology (UN-CRPD)
Deaf - a person who has an audiological impairment that makes him/her
unable to hear.
Disability - an evolving concept and that disability results from the
interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and
environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in
society on an equal basis with others. (UNCRPD)
Discrimination on the basis of disability - any distinction, exclusion or
restriction on the basis of disability which has the purpose or effect of
impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal
basis with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the
political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. It includes all forms
of discrimination, including denial of reasonable accommodation. (UNCRPD)
Hard of hearing - a person who can understand words only if spoken very
loud or close to the ear and has severe difficulties if there are other sources of
noise.
Inclusive education - a developmental approach to the learning needs of all
children, youth and adults, especially those who are vulnerable to
marginalization and exclusion. The principle of inclusive education was
adopted at the World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and
Quality (Salamanca, Spain, 1994), restated at the World Education Forum
(Dakar, Senegal, 2000) and supported by the UN Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
Language - includes spoken and signed languages and other forms of non
spoken languages. (UNCRPD)
Learning Disability - (note: in IDEA, the term used is Specific Learning Disability) IDEA
2004 Definition. General. The term means a disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language,
spoken or written that may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think,
speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including
conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. Disorders not included.
The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of
visual, hearing, or motor disabilities of mental retardation, of emotional
disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage. A
25
GLOSSARY
learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using
certain skills. (Lerner, 2005) References. Lerner,J.W. (2005). Learning Disabilities: Theories,
diagnosis and teaching strategies.(10th ed.). Boston:Houghton Mifflin and Smith, D. (2007). Introduction
to Special Education. Boston:Allyn and Bacon.
26
RESOURCE CENTERS
AD/HD Society of the Philippines
Rm. 210 Center for Social Policy
Social Development Complex
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel. No.: 927-3463; 426-6001 loc. 4649
Autism Society Philippines, Inc.
Rm. 307 M.L. Building
47 Kamias Road, Quezon City
Tel. No.: 926-6941
E-mail : autism@edsamail.com.ph
Website : www.autismphils.org
Cerebral Palsied Association of the Philippines, Inc.
# 7 Santan Street, La Colina Subdivision
Barangay Fortune, Marikina City
Tel. No.: 448-9640
Telefax : 413-2083
E-mail : cpap_2003@yahoo.com
Commission on Higher Education
Office of Student Services
Higher Education Development Center Building
Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No.: 928-3561; 426-9891
Website : www.ched.gov.ph
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies
2544 Taft Avenue, Manila
Tel. No.: 5267441 local 131
Telefax : 895-9642
Email: SDEAS.OPD@gmail.com
Website: www.dls-csb.edu.ph
Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Inc.
2nd Floor 6372, Agrifina Building
Camia corner Meleguas Streets
Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
Tel. No.: 895-3606
Telefax : 895-9642
27
RESOURCE CENTERS
Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Room No. 6 Philippine Children's Medical Center Bldg.
Quezon Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No.: 924-6601 to 25 loc. 273
Fax. No.: 924-0840
Philippine Childrens Medical Center
Quezon Avenue, Diliman
Quezon City
Tel. No. : 924-6001 to 25
Philippine Federation for the Deaf
#27C Masikap Street
Barangay Piahan
Quezon City
Tel. No.: 435-1198
Resources for the Blind. Inc,
4th Floor, COTI Building
623 EDSA, Cubao
Quezon City
Tel. No.: 726-3021-24
Fax No.: 727-0077
E-mail : info@blind.org.ph
Website : www.blind.org.ph
The National Library (Library for the Blind Division)
T.M. Kalaw Street
Ermita, Manila
Tel. No.: 524-0498
Fax. No.: 524-2329
28
RELEVANT REFERENCES
BIWAKO Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive,
Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia
and the Pacific
C. Early detection, early intervention and education
1. Critical issues
24.
Available evidence suggest that less than 10 percent of children and youth with
disabilities have access to any form of education. This compares with an enrolment rate
of over 70 per cent for non-disabled children and youth in primary education in the Asian
and Pacific region. This situation exists despite international mandates declaring the
education is a basic right for all children and calling for the inclusion of all children in
primary education by 2015. Governments should ensure the provision of appropriate
education, which responds to the needs of children with all types of disabilities in the
next decade. It is recognized that there is wide variation in the response which
Governments in the Asian and Pacific region have made in providing education for
children with disabilities, and that children are currently educated in a variety of formal
and informal educational settings, and in separate and inclusive schools.
25.
The exclusion of children and youth with disabilities from education results in their
exclusion from opportunities for further development, particularly diminishing their access
to vocational training, employment, income generation and business development.
Failure to access education and training prevents the achievement of economic and
social independence and increases vulnerability to poverty in what can become a self perpetuating, inter-generational cycle.
26.
Infants and young children with disabilities require access to early intervention
services, including early detection and identification (birth to four years old), with support
and training to parents and families to facilitate the maximum development of the full
potential of their disabled children. Failure to provide early detection, identification and
intervention to infants and young children with disabilities and support to their parents
and caretakers results in secondary disabling conditions which further limit their capacity
to benefit from educational opportunities. Provision of early intervention should be a
combined effort of Education, Health and/or Social Services.
27.
Currently education for children and youth with disabilities is predominantly
provided in special schools in urban centers and is available to limited numbers of
children in many countries of the Asia and Pacific region. The Salamanca Statement and
Framework for Action on Special Needs Education recommend that inclusive education,
with access to education in the regular local neighborhood or community school,
provides the best opportunity for the majority of children and youth with disabilities to
receive an education, including those in rural areas. Exceptions to this rule should be
considered on a case-by-case basis where only education in special school or
establishment can be shown to meet the needs of the individual child. It is acknowledge
that in some instances special education may be considered to be the most appropriate
form of education for some children with disabilities. The education of all children,
including children with disabilities, in local or community schools assists in breaking
down barriers and negative attitudes and facilitates social integration and cohesion within
communities. The involvement of parents and the local community in community schools
further strengthens this process.
29
28.
Major barriers to the provision of quality education for children with disabilities in
all educational contexts include the lack of early identification and intervention services,
negative attitudes, exclusionary policies and practices, inadequate teacher training,
particularly training of all regular teachers to teach children with diverse abilities,
inflexible curriculum and assessment procedures, inadequate specialist support staff to
assist teachers of special and regular classes, lack of appropriate teaching equipment
and devices, and failure to make modifications to the school environment to make it fully
accessible. These barriers can be overcome through policy, planning implementation of
strategies and allocation of resources to include children and youth with disabilities in all
national health and education development initiatives available to non-disabled children
and youth.
29.
Governments in collaboration with other stakeholders need to provide sport,
leisure and recreational activities and facilities for persons with disabilities, as the
fulfillment of their basic rights to the improvement of life.
2. Millennium development goal
30.
In this priority area the millennium development goal is to ensure that by the year
2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of
primary schooling and that girls and boys will have equal access to all levels of
education.
3. Targets
Target 6.
Children and youth with disabilities will be an integral part of the
population targeted by the millennium development goal of ensuring that by 2015 all
boys and girls will complete a full course of primary schooling.
Target 7.
At least 75 per cent of children and youth with disabilities of school
age will, by 2010, be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
Target 8.
By 2012, all infants and young children (birth to four years old) will
have access to and receive community-based early intervention services, which ensure
survival, with support and training for their families.
Target 9.
very early age.
See General Assembly resolution 48/96 of 20 December 1993 on Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, annex, rules 6. Education, para. 8.
4. Action required to achieve targets
1.
Governments should enact legislation, with enforcement mechanisms, to
mandate education for all children, including children with disabilities, to meet the goals
of the Dakar Framework for Action and the millennium development goal of primary
education for all children by 2015. Children with disabilities need to be explicitly included
in all national plans for education, including national plans on education for all the Dakar
Framework for Action.
30
2.
Ministries of Education should formulate educational policy and planning in
consultation with families and organizations of persons with disabilities and develop
programmes of education, which enable children with disabilities to attend their local
primary schools. Policy implementation needs to prepare the school system for inclusive
education, where appropriate, with the clear understanding that all children have the right
to attend school and that is the responsibility of the school to accommodate differences
in learners.
3.
A range of educational options should be available to allow the selection of a
school that will best cater for individual learning needs.
4.
Adequate public budgetary allocation specifically for the education of children
with disabilities should be provided within the allocation budget.
5.
Governments in collaboration with others should collect comprehensive data
on children with disabilities, from birth to 16 years old, which should be used for planning
appropriate early intervention and educational provision, resources and support services,
from birth through school age.
6.
Five years targets should be set for the enrolment of children with disabilities
in early intervention, pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary (post-school) education.
Progress towards meeting these targets should be closely monitored with a view to
achieving the goal of 75 per cent of children with disabilities in school by 2012.
7.
Ministries of Health and other concerned ministries should establish adequate
early detection and identification services in hospitals, primary health care, center and
community-based health care services, with referral systems to early interventions
services for all disabled infants and children (birth to four years old). Governments
should routinely screen high-risk pregnancies and high-risk newborn babies for early
detection of disabilities at birth or soon thereafter.
8.
Ministries of Health and Education should establish early intervention
services, in collaboration with other concerned ministries, self-help organizations, NGO
and community-based agencies, to provide early intervention, support and training to all
disabled infants and children with disabilities (birth to four years old) and their families.
9.
Governments, including Ministries of Education, should work in partnership
with NGOs at the national and local level to conduct public awareness campaigns to
inform families of children with disabilities, schools and local communities, of the right of
children and youth with disabilities to participate in education at all levels, in urban and
rural areas, and with particular emphasis on the inclusion of girls with disabilities where
there is a gender imbalance in school attendance.
10. The following measures should be taken, where appropriate, by Governments
in the region to improve the quality of education in all schools, for all children, including
children with disabilities, in special and inclusive educational contexts: (a) conduct
education and training for raising the awareness of public officials, including educational
and school administrators and teachers, to promote positive attitudes to the education of
children with disabilities, increase sensitivity to the rights of children and youth with
disabilities in regular schools; (b) provide comprehensive pre- and in-service teacher
training for all teachers, with methodology and techniques for teaching children with
diverse abilities, the development of flexible curriculum, teaching and assessment
strategies; (c) encourage suitable candidates with disabilities to enter the teaching
31
profession; (d) establish procedures for child screening, identification and placement,
child-centered and individualized teaching strategies and full systems of learning and
teaching support, including resource centers and specialists teachers, in rural and urban
areas; (e) ensure the availability of appropriate and accessible teaching materials,
equipment and devices, unencumbered by copyright restriction; (f) ensure flexible and
adaptable curriculum, appropriate to the abilities of individual children and relevant in the
local context; (g) ensure assessment and monitoring procedures are appropriate for the
diverse needs of learners.
11. Governments should implement a progressive programme towards achieving
barrier-free and accessible school transport by 2012.
12. Government should encourage programmes of research at tertiary institutions
to develop further effective methodologies for teaching children and youth with diverse
abilities.
13. Organizations of and for disabled persons should place advocacy for the
education of children with disabilities as high priority item on their agenda.
14. Regional cooperation needs to be strengthened to facilitate the sharing of
experiences and good practices and to support the development of inclusive education
initiatives.
32
RELEVANT REFERENCES
UNITED NATIONS
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Article 24
Education
1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a
view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal
opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all
levels and lifelong learning directed to:
(a) The full development of human potential and sense of dignity and selfworth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental
freedoms and human diversity;
(b) The development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents
and creativity, as well as their mental and physical abilities, to their fullest
potential;
(c) Enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in a free
society.
2. In realizing this right, States Parties shall ensure that:
(a) Persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education
system on the basis of disability, and that children with disabilities are not
excluded from free and compulsory primary education, or from secondary
education, on the basis of disability;
(b) Persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary
education and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the
communities in which they live;
(c) Reasonable accommodation of the individuals requirements is provided;
(d) Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general
education system, to facilitate their effective education;
(e) Effective individualized support measures are provided in environments
that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal
of full inclusion.
3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social
development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and
as members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate
measures, including:
(a) Facilitating the learning of Braille, alternative script, augmentative and
alternative modes, means and formats of communication and orientation
and mobility skills, and facilitating peer support and mentoring;
33
(b) Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the
linguistic identity of the deaf community;
(c) Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are
blind, deaf or deafblind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages
and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in
environments which maximize academic and social development.
4. In order to help ensure the realization of this right, States Parties shall take
appropriate measures to employ, teachers, including teachers with disabilities,
who are qualified in sign language and/or Braille, and to train professionals and
staff who work at all levels of education. Such training shall incorporate disability
awareness and the use of appropriate augmentative and alternative mode,
means and formats of communication, educational techniques and materials to
support persons with disabilities.
5. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access
general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong
learning without discrimination and on equal basis with others. To this end, States
Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with
disabilities.
Note: Full text of the UN-CRPD may be accessed through the following website:
http://www.ncda.gov.ph
34
RELEVANT REFERENCES
MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS
AND ITS IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS
(Republic Act No. 7277)
Chapter 2 Education
SECTION 12. Access to Quality Education The State shall ensure that disabled
persons are provided with adequate access to quality education and ample opportunities
to develop their skills. It shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible
to all disabled persons. It shall be unlawful for any learning institution to deny a disabled
person admission to any course it offers by reason of handicap or disability.
The State shall take into consideration the special requirements of
persons in the formulation of educational policies and programs.
encourage learning institutions to take into account the special needs of
persons with respect to the use of school facilities, class schedules,
education requirements and other pertinent consideration.
disabled
It shall
disabled
physical
The State shall also promote the provision by learning institutions, especially
higher learning institutions, of auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process for
disabled persons.
SECTION 13. Assistance to Disabled Students. The State shall provide
financial assistance to economically marginalized but deserving disabled students
pursuing post secondary or tertiary education. Such assistance may be in the form of
scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives to qualified
disabled students in both public and private schools. At least five percent (5%) of the
allocation for the Private Education Student Financial Assistance Program created by
virtue of R.A. 6725 shall be set aside for disabled students pursuing vocational or
technical and degree courses.
SECTION 14. Special Education. The State shall establish, maintain and
support a complete, adequate and integrated system of special education for the visually
impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded persons and other types of exceptional
children in all regions of the country. Toward this end, the Department of Education,
Culture and Sports shall establish special education classes in public schools in cities
and municipalities. It shall also establish, where viable, Braille and Record Libraries in
provinces, cities or municipalities.
The National Government shall allocate funds necessary for the effective
implementation of the special education program nationwide. Local government units
may likewise appropriate counterpart funds to supplement national funds.
SECTION 15. Vocational or Technical and Other Training Programs. The State
shall provide disabled persons with training in civics, vocational efficiency, sports and
physical fitness, and other skills. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall
establish in at least one government-owned vocational and technical school in every
province a special vocational and technical training program for disabled persons. It shall
develop and implement sports and physical fitness programs specifically designed for
disabled persons taking into consideration the nature of their handicap.
35
36
37
7. All SPED personnel involved in the education of learners with special needs
shall be technically trained. The DECS shall continuously review the possibility of
providing incentives to these personnel to attract others to join this profession
and prevent the fast turnover of the SPED teachers to high paying jobs.
With the above considerations, learners with special needs shall be afforded
appropriate types of special education programs suited to their needs to maximize their
potentials.
1.3 Non formal Education
Alternative special delivery systems to complement formal education shall include
but not limited to community-based, hospital-based, and other non-school based
programs and services for learners with special needs.
Radio, TV video, print and other distance teaching approaches shall be utilized to
reach out to those who cannot avail of institution-based programs and services.
The participation of persons with special needs, their parents and the community in
the delivery of programs and services to this special group must be enhanced
through the establishment of peer counseling, volunteerism, community awareness
and church support.
SECTION 2. Program Modification and Eligibility for Financial Assistance
2.1 Modified Facilities and Equipment for Learners with Special Needs
The following shall be the minimum requirements, which shall facilitate the
learning process of persons with disabilities:
a) For Academic Institutions
1. For persons with visual impairment sensory and tactile materials, braille
books and record materials, Braille writing, printing and reading machines,
orientation and mobility equipment.
2. For persons with hearing impairment group or individual hearing aids,
speech trainers, tape recorders and speech or language kit containing
auditory and language training materials.
3. For persons with orthopedic handicaps the requirements provided for by
B.P. 344 shall be complied with including adjustable desks or chairs and
adapted physical education apparatuses.
4. For persons with mental retardation facilities, equipment and
instructional materials for developing skills in self-care, socialization,
motor, cognitive and pre-vocational and vocational training.
5. Other types of learners with special needs: those with behavioral
problems including those with autism, those with learning disabilities and
those with multiple handicaps instructional devices and equipment for
behavioral modification, perceptual motor training, daily living skills,
language and speech and cognitive skills development.
38
b) Vocational and Technical Schools and Centers for Learners with Special Needs
To equip learners with special needs with vocational skills for gainful employment, on
the job or hands-on training and apprenticeship programs shall be encouraged.
1. For persons with visual impairment tools and machineries used must
have Braille marks and sound identifying features and other adaptations.
2. For persons with hearing impairment signal lights, signs and other
adaptations shall be incorporated in the tools and machineries.
3. For persons with orthopedic handicaps tools and machineries shall have
adapted devices which include but is not limited to the following:
Hand control for learners with special need s with non-functioning legs and
feet; control panels for those with non-functioning hands; and mouth control
device for those with non-functioning limbs. Height and size of the machines
shall be considered in making adaptations in the teaching-learning
environment.
4. For persons with mental retardation appropriate sheltered workshops,
work centers and other similar arrangements.
5. For other types of learners with special needs those adaptations
mentioned in numbers 1,2,3 and 4 as needed.
c) Special Education Centers for Learners with Special Needs
SPED Centers shall be established nationwide based on needs assessment and in
consultation with leaders of the disabled sectors.
2.2 Eligibility for Financial Assistance
a) Only those academic institutions and entities, vocational and technical
schools and centers and those offering other training programs with modified
facilities and equipment mentioned in Section 1 a and b of Rule III shall be
eligible for financial assistance under this rule.
b) All learners with special needs regardless of disability, age, sex, religion and
creed, shall be qualified for a financial assistance program provided they are
Filipino citizens and must have met the requirements set by the Bureau of
SPED in accordance with Section V and Rule IV.
SECTION 3. Scope
A.
B.
C.
39
SECTION 4. Enforcement
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall be responsible for the
implementation of these provisions in coordination with the Local Government Units,
Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority.
40
RELEVANT REFERENCES
CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER
No.
23
Series of 2000
TO
SUBJECT
X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X
In accordance with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) no. 7722, otherwise known as the
"Higher Education Act of 1994," and in compliance with the urgent request of the
National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) chaired by the
Honorable Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, proper implementation of the
provisions of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations embodied in RA 7277, by all higher education institutions is hereby adopted:
1. Public higher education institutions (HEIs) shall admit all learners with special needs
whether in academic, vocational or technical courses and other training programs,
except those which have already accepted but whose facilities do not warrant
additional enrolees. Private HEIs meanwhile, are encouraged to do the same as part
of their educational service to qualified tertiary level students with special needs.
2. Teacher training institutions are enjoined to include Special Education (SPED)
courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels of education and in other related
areas, and to offer scholarship programs to qualified SPED teachers whenever
possible, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education and other
government and non-government agencies.
3. To ensure that quality education is accessible to all learners with special needs and
to facilitate their learning process, the following modified facilities and equipment
shall be given importance by all HEIs as minimum requirements specified in RA
7277.
a) For persons with visual impairment
sensory and tactile materials, Braille books
and record materials, Braille writing, painting and reading machines, orientation
and mobility equipment.
b) For persons with hearing impairment group or individual hearing aids, speech
trainers, tape recorders and speech or language kit containing auditory and
language training materials.
c) For persons with orthopedic handicaps the requirements provided for on Rule II
of Batas Pambansa Bldg. 344 re: Accessibility Law, shall be complied with
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
Miriam College
62