QUEZON City, Philippines (December 18) -Proclamation no. 1157 also known as “International day of person with disabilities in the Philippines” was declared law on October 16, 2006. This law is passed for the benefit of our fellow citizens who are disabled. The law focuses on having a special day about our fellow men that are disabled. Given special appreciation every 3rd of December of every year.
Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime.
Many people suffer from disability; some born with it, while others gained their impairment during an event or an accident that happened in their lives and it hinders them from doing the things that they want and what they want to be. Some PWD’s lose hope because of their impairment and how they are being treated by society. They are treated “others” and they are being bullied when in fact we should be understanding their situation and helping them to see the way to their goals, to hear the sound of their hopes, to walk the road to their dreams.
It is good to know that we have this kind of law about disabled person that they are given special attention in one day, but it shouldn’t only last for a day. I think what we need more is education for our fellow men who are not disabled. We should impart the stories of our great PWD’s that claimed achievements in life and they should be an inspiration for us, that even though they are impaired they never let their disability to block their way to achieve their dreams. One good example is the Nineteen year-old Raymond Martin, who was born with a congenital deformity.
Raymond was named the 2012 Paralympic Sportsman of the year by the US Olympic Committee (USOC) for winning four golds at the Paralympic Games in London last summer of 2012. Raymond is just one of the many disabled person that achieve more in life in spite of his condition.
These kinds of stories are the one we should tell our children so when they grow up they know how to appreciate people with disabilities. They never wanted to be that way, they always wanted to be like us. So on their special day, let’s give them that special attention they need, not because they are not normal but because they are special to the world.
(written by Ehdmarien Torres, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)
