JICA-NCDA Project Awarded by International Association for Universal Design (IAUD)
October 28, 2010
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in partnership with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) conducts a unique international cooperation to promote “universal design” in the rural communities of the Philippines. A technical cooperative project is being implemented for a Non-handicapping Environment (NHE) in the rural areas, where majority of Filipinos with disabilities live.
Two (2) pioneering municipalities in Iloilo and Misamis Oriental, with technical assistance by JICA and NCDA, make their public facilities more accessible for persons with diabilities (PWDs). Such accessible facilities are based on the concept of “Universal Design”. It promotes the participation of people with various needs in the community including senior citizens and PWDs. Focusing to make phhysical environments barrier-free, the Project also endeavors to remove barriers in existing systems/regulations and attitudes of people towards PWDs.
From October 30 to November 3, the 3rd International Conference for Universal Design will be held in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. This is one of the largest international conferences on Universal Design with thousands of participants from government institutes, private companies and universities all over the world. Six (6) Filipinos of the NHE Project, including Municipal Mayors of New Lucena, Iloilo and Opol, Misamis Oriental, will each be receiving a prestigious international “2010 IAUD Award.”
IAUD has a vision to create environments where the dignity of each human with various needs is fully respected. Among a large number of applications from both private and public organizations, the NHE Project of the Philippines has been nominated as one of the 2010 IAUD Awardees with its great contributions in enhancing the dignity of rural persons with disabilities in the Philippines.
2 Responses to “JICA-NCDA Project Awarded by International Association for Universal Design (IAUD)”
Got something to say?
I am a mother of a hearing impaired child, on one of our trips we pass by chowking metropolitan branch operated by federal brent retail, inc. along pres. Macapagal cor edsa ext pasay city, we stop over there to have some breakfast last 13nov, they don’t give discounts to pwd (#04-5802-008-168 issued in the province of rizal, antipolo city) saying that their machines is not calibrated for such discounts only for senior citizens, the manager’s name is ramil but i didn’t get the chance to get his last name, because i was furious and this was the first fastfood that rejected the pwd id. hoping to have a prompt action to this matter so that other pwd’s can benefit from this. Thank you.
[Reply to this comment]
I am a visually impared filipina but residing in Japan at present.
Last December, I went to the Philippines to spend my Christmas vacation.
Whenever I go out with my family and friends, I always bring my white cane to let the people around me know that I am blind.
But it seems that they are not aware of this white cane because they only just stare at me whenever i pass by in front of them.
Here in Japan, whenever a person is walking with a white cane, people used to give way to the person passing by for him/her to can easily pass by the road. They also even help us(visually impared persons) on crossing the street, riding the train, or going up/down the stairs.
Cars and buses also stop whenever they saw people with awhite cane waiting for the right time to cross the street.
I hope those manners could also be done in the Philippines in the near future.
[Reply to this comment]