The Department of Justice and the National Council on Disability Affairs conducted a two-day seminar entitled, “Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Workshop on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities” on 4-5 September 2014 in Cebu City. The participants included prosecutors, lawyers from the Public Attorneys’ Office in Central Visayas, representatives from the different groups of Persons with disabilities and other government agencies.
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| Seminar on Access to Justice for PWAs group |
The workshop was an orientation on the nature and characteristics of the different types of disabilities and how to assist PWAS, as discussed by experts. The Autism Society Philippines’ very own Chairman Emeritus, Ms. Dang Koe, engaged the participants on the topic, “Assisting persons with learning and cognitive impairment.”
As a mother attending this seminar, it made me realize that recognition of the rights of our special children and assurance for an effective access to justice on equal basis with others is possible for our children.
As an advocate participating in this seminar, we should support the Department of Justice in the conduct of seminars, trainings, orientation for both service providers in the government and private sector especially on the nature, sign and symptoms of Autism and its management. These orientations will be included as a subject in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE).
As an ASP Chapter member and leader attending this workshop, we should involve civil society organizations, Non-Government Organization and Local Government in our ASP Activities such as Autism Week, Angels Walk, Colors of a Spectrum, World Autism Day and seminars to increase Autism Advocacy and ensure provisions of support services.
For participants, it was two days of knowledge enrichment and attitude enhancement on the perceptions towards persons with disability. The main take-away is that “all persons have equal rights before and under the law and are entitled without discrimination to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law”.
About the Contributor: Sandra Espina served as the ASP Cebu Chapter President from 2009 to 2014 and is currently the chapter's adviser. She is the Managing Director of Ivory Properties. Sandra and her spouse Joseph, Rotary District 3860 Governor, are parents to three boys. Zach, their youngest, is on the spectrum.
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