Freedom Walk Seeks to Make the Rights Real for PWDs

The Alyansa ng may Kapansanang Pinoy and its partners in the disability sector celebrates the Freedom Walk to give persons with disabilities a united voice in pushing for their rights, acceptance, and inclusion in society.

The idea for the Freedom Walk was first conceptualized in early 2011, when a group of leaders in the disability sector, spearheaded by the Alyansa ng may Kapansanang Pinoy (AKAP-Pinoy), met and planned for an Independence Day celebration, to be held in the month of June.  The event is dubbed the ‘Freedom Walk’ as a way for the Persons with Disability (PWD) sector to celebrate Philippine Independence Day to showcase its patriotism. “This is also an expression of their desire to be free from shackles of discrimination, inequalities and poverty,” explains Capt. Oscar Taleon, president of AKAP-Pinoy.

The Freedom Walk embraces the theme “Every Rightful Step, All Barriers We Break,” focuses on the progressive realization of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD), as well as the adoption of the Incheon Framework to “make the right real” for persons with disabilities.

The 8th year now since it first began, the Freedom Walk has only grown bigger and bigger. AKAP-Pinoy’s record shows there are no less than 1,500 participants joined every year’s Freedom Walk event. It has also given the persons with disabilities a united voice to ask for change from the government and to include more programs for the sector. The Freedom Walk 2018 event will be held on June 16, 2018 in Pasig City.

This event has encouraged the persons with disabilities to be united in advocating for the realization of their rights and the obligation of the government to enable PWDs to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. We want the government to take measures to ensure PWDs access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications including information and communications technologies and systems.

TOWARDS AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY

Aside from a chance to voice their concerns, the Freedom Walk also doubles as a social event for PWDs where they can showcase their talents as well as mingle with each other.

“This event is also a showcase of unity of PWDs with the public and community and aims to draw others in their ‘hiding places’ to join the rest in their journey to an inclusive society,” explains Taleon. The Persons with Disabilities participants are already looking in to spread this celebration to the grassroots level, as well as institutionalizing the Freedom Walk and making it a part of the country’s yearly Independence Day celebrations.

“We want the Freedom Walk to become a ‘name’ to the PWDs, to walk to freedom from all barriers and ‘make their rights real,’” says Taleon. “We want an increased awareness on the general public to rectify their negative attitude towards persons with disabilities and be part of an inclusive society.”

Those taking part in government agencies are the National Council for Disability Affairs (NCDA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Department of Transportation (DOTr)and its attached agencies, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the House of Representatives (HORep) Committee on Social Services, the Department of Health (DOH), the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) PWD Sector, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and  NCR LGUs.

For the non-government organizations, those taking part are the Alyansa ng may Kapansanang Pinoy(AKAP-Pinoy) as the lead agency, the Philippine Federation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD),  the Philippine Academy on Rehab Medicine (PARM),  the Philippine Association of Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities (PACDLD), the Physicians for Peace (PFP), the Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH), the WOW Leap,  the New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP), Life Haven,  the Philippine Blind Union (PBU), Resources for the Blind (RBI), the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD), the Hard Of Hearing (HOR) Group, the Cerebral Palsied Ass’n Phils (CPAP)., Soldiers with Disabilities through KKKI & KSKPI, the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP), the AD/HD Society Phils., and the SM Cares Program on  Disability Affairs from the civic oriented group, and the CITI Bank from the business sector. (AKAP Pinoy)