Rizal is my president

Photo by Nadine Calagos (Deaf Student)

Rizal is teaching the youth people to be good value and leader for our country.

Next year is coming soon, there will be new president 2010, the most people are still undecide whom they want to vote for run president, they still look for the president who is honest, trust and love our country.I feel the same, i still think whom i like to vote. Rizal is my president was showing me and touched my heart, i was thinking and looking at our country right now, there is a lot of youth people, they true know the good value and leader but they dont do because they might think hard to do for our country, some of them are good to do but, the most they do good value and leader for themself not for others and our country.

I hope the people (run for presidents) not forget Jose Rizal what he done for us was freedom, he fought for our love country. I also hope the youth people know good value and leader then they do for others with their true heart.

Written by Jerene Justiniano (Deaf Student)

Espesyalista 2009: A Quiz Bee for Deaf Students

Photo by: Jesus Morales

Last October 24, 2009, the UP Special Education Council (UPSEC) in partnership with SDEAS hosted “Espesyalista 2009: A Quiz Bee for Deaf Students”

Seven elementary schools from Metro Manila and neighboring provinces joined the competition: Antipolo SPED Center, Batino Elementary School, Bagong Silang Elementary School, Barro Obrero Elementary School, Commonwealth Annex, Gen. M. Hizon Elementary School and Rosa Susano Elementary School.

The program started with a prayer lead by an UPSEC member, Jennifer Pampelona, followed by the Philippine National Anthem, which was lead by SDEAS student, Raphael Domingo. Ms. Maria Veronica Templo-Perez, the Dean of SDEAS, gave the welcome remarks. The audience watched in amazement as Silent Steps presented a special number entitled “I Have a Dream”.

As Dean Perez had said in her welcome remarks, it was an opportunity for the SDEAS students to look back at their humble beginnings and remember that they too were once elementary students. For the contestants, it was opportunity to see that there is life even after they graduate from high school and hopefully the thought of going to College would motivate them to study hard and achieve their dreams.

The quiz bee proper was composed of questions from the different subject areas ranging from easy to difficult. After a close fight, Commonwealth Annex emerged as the winner followed by Rosa Susano Elementary School in second place and Bagong Silang Elementary School in third place.

Espesyalista was a venue where elementary Deaf students showed their academic competence. It promoted the use of sign language in Deaf education and empowered the Deaf students, giving them a sense of confidence and a learning experience. But most importantly, it upheld the advocacy that it is the ability and not the disability that matters.

Written by: Bea Francisco

Lessons from Riku Virtanen

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION:
Lessons from Riku Virtanen

Accessibility and Inclusion: Lessons from Riku Virtanen
Reports by Ana Kristina Arce and Romeo Catap, Jr.

Finnish human rights lawyer and activist Riku-Heikki “Riku” Virtanen visited the College last June 30, 2009 to give on accessibility and inclusion talk to DLS-CSB administrators, faculty, staff and students, as well as students from the Philippine School for the Deaf. Hard of hearing and blind, Virtanen, with assistance from his two Finnish interpreters, shared his thesis work on “Right to work—about reasonable accommodation and about equality between disabled entrepreneurs and disabled workers.”

The Making of a Deafblind Lawyer
Virtanen was born deaf and blind, but not fully impaired. Regardless of his condition, Virtanen’s parents did their best to raise him.
His father communicates using his voice and occasionally uses finger spelling. By age 16, Virtanen started to wear cochlear implants. He has later on benefited from Finnish interpreters, who provided him assistance in contact signing and voice interpreting.
He pursued schooling. But upon reaching secondary school, he was only offered to pursue a vocational or livelihood program although he could use a computer and communicate in Swedish and Finnish through contact signing interpreters.
It was because of such a negative attitude towards disabled people that made him decide to break expectations, strive to study academic courses, and pursue a law degree.
At age 21, he entered the University of Turku. The university allowed him access to assistance services, including interpreters, during standard examinations and computer laboratory classes. The university even extended his school hours.
He admits, however, that he was able to accomplish so much because the Finnish government has firm policies that supported education for disabled people. Not only did Virtanen get his education for free, buildings and transportation in Finland are also accessible for People with Disabilities (PWD’s).
Virtanen has since graduated from the University of Turku with a Masters of Law degree and is planning on taking the licensure examination on constitutional rights and services for PWD’s. He is also planning on pursuing a doctorate degree in the near future and on becoming a politician to help create laws for PWD’s needs for accessibility and inclusion.

It is ability that matters, not disability.
Virtanen told the audience, which was composed mostly of Deaf students, that it is not important how he became disabled. What is important is that he was able to maximize his potentials.
While he had a lot of help from strong Finnish policies supporting PWD’s, he shares that discrimination against PWD’s is generally high in Finland. Even though media downplays it, PWD’s are consistently struggling to earn respect. He notes that among PWD’s, the blind seem to have a better edge of getting a job compared to Deaf people.
This fact holds true even in the Philippine setting where most jobs are limited to hearing people, and PWD’s have the least consideration for acceptance.
While it is seriously difficult, Virtanen’s own inspirational journey proves that it can be done. As a lawyer, he campaigns for better laws and policies on accessibility and inclusion for PWD’s. This is a campaign that he not only conducts in his country, but brings to other countries as well.

Accessibility and Inclusion in the Classroom
For DLS-CSB, Virtanen recommends that the College should consider accessibility and inclusion because education is very important for PWD’s future careers.
According to the United Nations Convention, PWD’s have the right to be provided access to assistance service like professional sign language interpreters, information communications, buildings, education, and more. Virtanen said, “Unfortunately, it is still not enough, unless human rights are useful as possible. The government should also give more accessibility with information like reproduction, education and many [sic] other opportunities for PWD’s.”
Pursuing and furthering these rights through an educational institution, such as DLS-CSB, is a good reason of hope that in the near future, our own government would see, understand, and give better accessibility and inclusion for PWD’s.
Accessibility and Inclusion: Lessons from Riku Virtanen was held in the Augusto-Rosario Gonzalez Theater.

Reprinted from the Perspective.

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION:

Lessons from Riku Virtanen

Riku Virtanen is a Deaf-Blind lawyer from

Finland and currently the Vice President of the Threshold Association,

a group that advocates for independent living and human rights.

Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theater,

5th floor De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde,
2544 Taft Ave, Manila

June 30, 2009
9:30 am - 11:30 am

For Inquiries:

email : sdeas.opd@gmail.com
text: 09162657558

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION:

Lessons from Riku Virtanen

Riku Virtanen is a Deaf-Blind lawyer from
Finland and currently the Vice President of the Threshold Association,
a group that advocates for independent living and human rights.

Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theatre (5th floor),
College of Saint Benilde, Taft Ave, Manila
June 30, 2009
9:30 am - 11:30 am

For Inquiries,
email : sdeas.opd@gmail.com
cellphone: 09162657558

Study Sign Language and Open Opportunities!

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SIGN UP FOR FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES
at the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB)


Classes are held three hours a week for 14 weeks and are conducted

by Deaf teachers.

Choose from the following schedule are: Mon/Wed/Fri, or Mon/Fri, or Tues/Thurs, or Sat.

Course fee : Php 2,400.00 (plus Php 535 for those who do not have a

DLS-CSB Generic ID).


For inquiries, please contact the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program

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office at 526-7441 Local 131 by ENROLLMENT EXTENDED TO JUNE 26,2009