CamNorte promotes inclusive employment, accessibility for PWDs

By Rosalita Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte --- The Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) of the provincial government of Camarines Norte conducted a training to promote inclusive employment and digital accessibility for persons with disabilities.

The Gender, Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Accessible Contents and Materials Training aimed to promote the use and utilization of universally designed inclusive digital content for the government and academia.

“Itong activity ay sobrang napapanahon, relevant dahil hindi mapipigilan ang pag-integrate o paglipat natin into digital space, kailangan tanggapin natin na ang pagiging digital ay bahagi ng aspeto ng buhay that includes education and employment,” Rhea Althea Guntalilib, lead mentor of Benetech Philippines, said.

(This activity is timely and relevant because we cannot control our integration into a digital space, we need to accept that digitalization is part of life, including education and employment).

Guntalilib is a blind person and a passionate accessibility consultant with over nine years of experience specializing in inclusive design and digital accessibility. She holds a degree in Computer Science and is currently taking up a professional course in UX Design at Enderun College.

She discussed inclusive employment, digital accessibility, and assistive technologies for PWDs especially those with partial and permanent eye disability.

She said that if they could land a job, there would be fewer charitable programs because they would become more productive citizens.

They are not only earning money but will become taxpayers and even though they are PWDs, they can contribute to the country’s economy, she said.

“I emphasized that incorporation of digital accessibility is not just for PWDs who would benefit just like me who have a permanent disability but also for those who have a temporary disability,” she said.

She said as blind persons they are also using applications like Be My Eyes, Be My AI, and screen readers that are also free on the internet.

She said that because of digital accessibilities and technologies, they will be able to adapt and make their career journey, specifically that she was able to write a book entitled “Gaining Vision Upon Losing My Sight.”

Guntalilib will also lobby the Department of Education (DepEd) to have a permit to upload the Bookshare Library or learning materials in an accessible format which will be free. This will help address the education gap that will benefit the PWDs.

She is also seeking the support of the participants on spreading more awareness about digital accessibility because it is a big thing to create an inclusive society.

During the workshop, the participants were taught how those with a disability in the eyes or a blind person can work and access files using MS Word and Google Drive and how to access social media platforms.

The workshop was handled by Beverly Bravo, a senior subject matter expert at Concentrix and a part-time information technology instructor at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa.

Bravo is a partially blind person and a disability rights advocate focusing on technology and digital accessibility.

She also taught the participants how to create content that will be accessible to the PWDs, especially those blind persons.

PDAO Department Head Rex Bernardo said that the training oriented the participants to include digital accessibilities in their offices’ priority program and concerns and accommodate PWDs in their workforce.

He said that in Camarines Norte there are blind PWDs who are scholars who use digital technologies and they are planning to train them to become trainers for local seminars.

The training was attended by government agency representatives, members of the academe in charge of digital files and social media, and website managers. (PIA 5/Camarines Norte)