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] [ ] Accessibility of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP)
G/F Sra Building, North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon CityThe National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all agencies, whether public or private, concerning disability issues and concerns. As such, the NCWDP is the lead agency tasked to steer the course of program development for persons with disabilities and the delivery of services to the sector.
NCWDP was founded by virtue of Executive Order No. 232 which renamed the former National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP). The Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) serve as the Chairman of the Governing Board.
The NCWDP is tasked to monitor the implementation of several laws to ensure the protection of persons with disabilities' civil and political rights. These laws include the Republic Act No 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons), Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 (Accessibility Law), Republic Act 6759 (White Cane Act) and ILO Convention No. 159 (Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with Disability). It has also been tasked, through Proclamation No. 125, to coordinate activities and to monitor the observance of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993-2002) in the Philippines. Proclamation No. 125 was issued by the President on January 15, 1993, to enjoin both the government and the private entities to organize projects based on the policy categories mentioned in the agenda for action of the decade.
Since the passage of the Biwako Millennium Framework in 2002, the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Computer Center (NCC) has been very active campaigning and advocating for the advancement of accessible ICT for Persons with Disabilities in the country. With the adoption of the "Manila Declaration on Accessible ICT" and the "Manila ICT Design Recommendations" during the "Interregional Seminar and Regional Demonstration Workshop on Accessible ICT and Persons with Disabilities", held in Bayview Hotel, Manila, Philippines, 3-7 March 2003 which was funded by the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UN-DESA).
On July of 2005, Ms. Nelia R. de Jesus attended the Regional Workshop on Accessible Web-based Information Networking held in Bangkok and organized by APCD. Her participation strengthens the Council's resolve to replicate the project and inform the public specifically web developers, designers and webmasters on the importance or removing ICT barriers to access information by persons with disabilities. Inspired by these developments the Council through the leadership of Director Catalina L. Fermin formulated a plan of action to implement nationwide workshops covering the three major islands of the country for webmasters and designers of government, academic institutions, and non-government organization for and of persons with disabilities. The theme "Empowering Persons with Disabilities through ICT" was carried in the Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and National Workshop on Accessible ICT for Persons with Disabilities. More than 75 webmasters and designers benefited from these workshops and committed through a Manifesto of Commitment to advocate accessible ICT for All and adopt and implement the provisions specified in the Manila ICT Design Recommendations. In the last two regional and national workshops, APCD Resource Persons inspired and inform the participants on the latest trends on Accessible ICT such as DAISY and the ICT Accessibility situation and compliance in the Asia Pacific Region.
Related to this the organizers have already given five (5) recognition awards to people and organizations that made their websites fully accessible to persons with disabilities. They are the Philippine House of Representatives, Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired, Inc., (ATRIEV), Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf (MCCID), Mr. Rey Mendoza and the Cebu City Government.
Also, with the recently concluded training on Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) for persons with print disability, the Philippine DAISY Team has made a National Plan of Action for implementation this year under the DAISY FOR ALL Project. The plan has already gained support from various partners and is awaiting training schedule to realize the benefits of DAISY.
The National Workshop on Accessible ICT (National Webmaster's Interface) has made several recommendations to ensure continuity and realize the goals and objectives of making an accessible ICT environment for all. Some of which are the formation of a Philippine Webmasters Group composed of Webmasters who have made their websites person with disability friendly, institutionalization of Summit of Accessible ICT Champions and establishment of national web accessibility standards. The Council also envisions that within the next five years, all websites of government agencies are fully accessible to persons with disabilities including local government units. To realize these, a monitoring group composed of web accessibility experts and persons with disabilities will be established to ensure compliance to local and international standards.
The Council also envisions promoting Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) throughout the country through partner organizations especially public libraries and academic institutions to ensure education of persons with disabilities especially those with print problems. But this could not be realized without the much needed support from international cooperating agencies like the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability.
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