By Noriko Yamamoto

On Friday, January 23, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) Sandigan Idiyanale hosted the “Lead, Learn, & Liberate: Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Sensitivity Training for Respectful and Equitable Leadership,” at the second-floor Formation and Learning Center (FLC).

The program aimed to equip ASHS students with the knowledge to foster inclusivity and sensitivity toward PWDs.

Romaine Gonzales, Director of Operations and Development of Best Buddies PH, opened the session by contextualizing the situation of PWDs in the Philippines.

She reported that 1.4 million Filipinos live with a disability — 272,000 are between the ages of 0 and 14.

Gonzales also emphasized the importance of tailored support such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and customized curriculums for students in special education classrooms.

“As leaders, our influence is reflected in the everyday,” Gonzales said, stressing the need to welcome diversity while upholding dignity and rights.

She then stated that children with down syndrome and autism can thrive in school, make friends, and pursue their passions when given proper support.

Afterwards, Best Buddies PH ambassador Ezekiel Lagmay, followed with a discussion on self-advocacy and inclusive language.

“Self-advocacy is simple, but not for the faint-hearted,” Lagmay said, acknowledging the challenges faced by PWDs in asserting themselves.

He emphasized the importance of person-first language, urging society to recognize individuals before their disabilities.

Lagmay also called for openness and acceptance, stating, “Don’t shut the door on us. Otherwise, how will you learn and grow with us?” 

Following this, Eljay Bautista, co-convener of Kasali Tayo, shared insights on the role of student leaders in promoting inclusivity and supporting peers with learning disabilities and invisible disabilities.

“As much as it can be a sad thing to say, if we just look around, there’s always a gap we identify when it comes to inclusion,” Bautista stated.

She encouraged student leaders to act as allies and advocates, noting that many PWD students hesitate to ask for accommodations.

“Student [organizations] have the power to voice out advocacies in the community. We, as leaders, must recognize leadership in others as well, and that includes leadership of those PWDs,” she said.

She also tackled ableism, describing its institutional, interpersonal, and internalized forms, and how societal expectations often unfairly label PWDs as lazy when they struggle to meet conventional standards.

She then urged  participants to foster respect by becoming more self-aware and inclusive.

Furthermore, the students engaged in a group activity where they identified circulating issues within the PWD community, analyzed why these challenges persist, and conceptualized solutions to implement in their student bodies.

El Ignacio, part of the  organizing committee, emphasized the broader goal of the event.

“I think the main importance of the talk is student information because it’s not just for our student leaders, but for the student body in general,” she said.

“Beyond physical manifestations of inclusivity, like ramps and elevators, we also have to consider our thinking and behavior toward the disability community — so the goal of this event is to create pockets of change in our community,” she added.

She also admitted that the most difficult part of preparing for the event was encouraging participation.

“It’s hard to change a community that can be close to apathy and not caring about experiences beyond their own. Still, we had a really good turnout, even more than we expected,” Ignacio shared.

Meanwhile, Jai Domingo from 11-Nakaura expressed, “The most important lesson I’ve learned from this talk is how normalized ableism is nowadays.”

“As an ASHS student, I think that the issue that this talk aims to address is very relevant because we need to be more vocal about how our careless words can affect PWDs,” Domingo added.

The program concluded with a pledge of commitment to inclusivity and a show of appreciation through certificates awarded to the guest speakers, followed by the closing remarks from the organization’s moderator, Mr. Porfirio Zablan.