CANNOT BE UNSEEN: Of PWDs, real talk, and hard-to-swallow pills
DLSU Graduate School blind professor Krissy Bisda is poised to be a champion for PWDs in the Philippines
It has been somewhat ingrained in our minds that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are solely defined by what they lack or what they are unable to do. This leads to a mindset that we should treat them differently, as if they were bound to be regarded as charity cases for the entirety of their lives. At the beginning, extending help seems like the only solution, but as we go on, we have to realize PWDs are no different from others. We have romanticized their situations so much that it led to the lack of discourse and a complete disregard for how they should be truly treated. They should be treated with dignity and respect, just like everybody else.
Admittedly, I was only able to ponder upon such thoughts when I interviewed Ms. Maria Criselda “Krissy”
Bisda. Krissy is currently a graduate studies professor at De La Salle University (DLSU). She teaches Industrial Relations and is also a Human Resource practitioner. Aside from that, she has a doctorate degree in Industrial Relations Management from De La Salle University, as well as a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the University of New Castle (UoN), where she was a scholar under the Australian Awards Program. These are definitely great achievements, and one might instantly think that these were all gained through luck, hard work, and perseverance, but what amazes me more is the fact that she was able to accomplish all these despite being blind.
THE TRUTH HURTS, BUT IT’S STILL THE TRUTH
During her stay in Australia, she noticed some discrepancies in the way PWDs are treated as compared to how they are treated here in the Philippines, a developing country. In terms of educational systems, UoN provided her with disability support and a budget. With regard to culture and common practices, she learned that in Australia, the people there would not even bother giving judgmental stares and looks of pity when PWDs do simple things on their own, like lining up to buy food and beverages and going to different places. The Philippines has yet to provide such forms of support, in addition to developing a more open mindset. Something also has to be done about the perception of people regarding PWDs. Seeing them as helpless individuals does not resolve the stigma nor does it cause awareness on how discriminatory that kind of thinking is. It only makes the stigma more prevalent.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs are people who have long-term mental, physical, intellectual, or sensory impairments. Sometimes their battles are not seen, more so felt thus while the Philippines has taken steps to give assistance to PWDs through the creation of laws such as Republic Act No. 7277, also known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities and through the establishment of government agencies such as the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), there is still room for improvement since our current laws are merely implemented properly and are not complied with. This non-compliance manifests itself in everyday situations—the lack of ramps in buildings and other public spaces, the dangers present in crossing the street since there are no separate lanes for PWDs, and so much more. In this reality where understanding and empathy are the first steps in lessening the inequality given to PWDs, we have to help them help themselves.
Based on her experience, Krissy has been rejected by some universities not because she was unable to make the cut nor reach their standards, but because she was a PWD. In such cases, PWDs are not only deprived of their opportunities and rights, but also carry the weight of needing to prove and even explain themselves just so society would accept them.
The discrimination does not end there. The same problems continue to persist even in employment. Several businesses nowadays stress that they vouch for equal opportunities, fair treatment, and impartial decisions when it comes to the selection and recruitment of potential employees, yet they do not have implemented or standardized systems on how to handle PWDs nor do they provide alternative forms of assessments for them. This is not to say that companies should be biased towards PWDs, but rather to point out that usual practices and bythe-book methods cannot solely dictate what is fair and just.
For instance, when Krissy applied for a teaching position in DLSU, they did not have an alternative method for selecting and hiring PWDs, but despite the situation at hand, DLSU maintained open communications by asking Krissy what she needed. In the latter part of the assessment, they let Krissy undergo the selection process and make use of her speechconfigured laptop which would serve as her guide for her teaching demo. She also requested if she could seek assistance from the technicians in the campus in setting up her laptop and presentation, that request was granted as well. This is an example of a good start.
As an advocate for fair employment practices, Krissy knew something had to be done, otherwise, PWDs would be forever encumbered in the pursuance of their aspirations. Instead of letting her advocacy become stagnant, Krissy and a colleague recently devised a system for Human Resource (HR) Departments. The said system offers a set of procedures on how to accommodate PWDs applying for jobs as well as guidelines on treating PWDs at work. As of now, they are still undergoing a bit of pilot testing but it will soon be introduced to more companies. They are hoping to diminish the fears of businesses in hiring PWDs. It is understandable that solutions do not come overnight, but something has to be done now.
She also uses transformative teaching techniques in her Industrial Relations class since she does not subscribe to fault-finding techniques. I was given a chance to sit in one of their meetings and by the end of it, I suddenly had the realization that ideas can change the world and ripen into fruition if we are able to identify what the problem really is and our reasons for fighting against it.
ONE AND THE SAME
There is no doubt that Krissy has achieved many feats in her life, but she is no exception. We have to start shifting our perspectives to a more progressive view, because then again, PWDs are not people to be pitied and prejudiced. Like all people, they also cannot do everything, but that does not mean PWDs cannot be anything they want to be.
Disabilities will be disabilities, but that should not be a reason for us to treat each other indifferently. It took me an interview to see the world as it is, free from rose-colored glasses and my somewhat selfish opinions. Truly, there are certain events and circumstances in our lives that would challenge the way we think or how we perceive things. I hope that we all learn, gain better insights, and work towards change.
PWDs are not only deprived of their opportunities and rights, but also carry the weight of needing to prove and even explain themselves just so society would accept them.