The executive director of the Federation of Dumaguete City Handicap Association is calling for increased public awareness on the needs and the welfare of Persons-with-Disabilities.
Carmelo Cepe, recently voted as the Federation’s executive director, highlighted the importance of coming up with more measures to address the needs of PWDs, especially the deaf whose access to certain services are limited.
Cepe disclosed Monday afternoon that he will be making representations with the city council to come up with ordinances in the near future for the deaf and other PWDs.
For instance, one measure he cited is for the movie houses at a shopping mall here to have subtitles or captions displayed at the bottom of the screen for the deaf to be able to enjoy watching a movie, Cepe said.
Another recommendation would be for television networks to have interpreters for the deaf, just like what a national network is doing in some of its programs, he added.
Also, it would be a big help if hospitals had trained deaf interpreters and even barangay health workers can be trained on sign language, Cepe went on to say.
Just this past weekend, the Dumaguete Effata Association for the Deaf conducted a sign language workshop in Dumaguete City to empower volunteers and interpreters for the deaf.
Cepe lauded such activity, saying that this is one way of raising the awareness of people in Dumaguete about the deaf.
The Diocese of Dumaguete, in fact, already has masses for the deaf, where interpreters are readily available.
The Diocesan Association of Volunteers & Interpreters for the Deaf (DAVID) has been around for about 15 years and was approved by then Dumaguete bishop and now archbishop of Palo, Leyte, the Most Rev. John Du, Cepe said.
On education, Cepe said some towns in Negros Oriental are already starting to put up a classroom that will cater to the disabled, while the West City Elementary School and the Dumaguete City High School have special classes for the PWDs as well.
Cepe said he hopes that PWDs will be given more privileges to enjoy life as much even with their disabilities that should not be treated as a hindrance. (PNA/JFP)
