Padayon U.P. para sa P.W.D.: An investigative study on the admission and accessibility of the University of the Philippines Diliman for persons with disabilities
Padayon U.P. para sa P.W.D.: An investigative study on the admission and accessibility of the University of the Philippines Diliman for persons with disabilities
This undergraduate thesis examined the admission and accessibility of the University of the Philippines, with the Diliman campus as case study, for qualified students with disabilities. Under the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, other national laws, and international conventions, persons with disabilities (PWDs) are safeguarded with rights to accessible education. Furthermore, the University of the Philippines Charter emphasizes democratic access to all students.
Guided by the theories of the Open System and the Social Model of Disability, this study explored whether the university is taking steps in making its institution accessible by breaking down institutional, environmental, and attitudinal barriers to learning. Using a heavily qualitative approach and investigative techniques, this research proved that while the admissions done on the system-level is becoming increasingly inclusive to PWDs with provisions of reasonable accommodation, constituent units, in particular the flagship unit Diliman, lag behind as they fall short of complying with the national laws that safeguard the rights of PWDs to education. Without a clear policy, UP Diliman as an institution is still unprepared and unequipped to accommodate qualified students with disabilities in the campus.
The findings are presented in a text-plus, three-part journalistic report.
Keywords: University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Diliman, Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, Accessible Education, Reasonable Accommodation, Journalism, Investigative Journalism