IN AN EFFORT towards inclusivity and awareness, a Sanggunian commission for persons with special needs (PWSNs) in the Ateneo is in the works. On August 4, 2019, the Sanggunian announced that the commission will be established as a unit under the Sanggunian Office of the President’s Department of Student Rights in partnership with the Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED).

While the memorandum states that its current name is the “Commission on Persons with Special Needs Inclusion,” Sanggunian President Quiel Quiwa has clarified in an interview that this has yet to be finalized.

The commission’s primary goals are to instill a mindset of inclusivity in the Ateneo community and to lobby for policies and facilities to increase accessibility for PWSNs in the Loyola Schools (LS).

Moreover, the memo mentioned that the commission serves as a foundation for the Sanggunian’s long-term goal of establishing a PWSN sector as a member of the Central Assembly (CA).

Initiatives for inclusivity

Although the Sanggunian is still organizing the commission, there have been previous efforts for PWSN inclusivity in the Ateneo.

In 2001, Rosselle Ambubuyog (BS MA ‘01) became the first, and so far the only, visually-impaired Atenean to graduate from the University, finishing as the valedictorian of the Class of 2001. During her stay in the school, she was provided with several resources, such as learning materials in braille, to make it easier for her to attend and participate in classes despite her disability.

A BusinessWorld article by former Political Science Chair Alma Salvador, PhD stated that Ateneo’s collaboration with partners in the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) has paved the way “for strengthening its nation-building thrust through accessible and inclusive education.”

Via Bautista (4 BS LM), one of the two PWSN undergraduates currently studying in the Ateneo, affirmed that the University has improved with regard to inclusive facilities since her freshman year. 

For instance, she recalled how the ground surfaces on campus were once “too bumpy” for wheelchairs. Now, the roads have been tarred and there are pavements and speed tables that allow her to get to class with ease.

On the other hand, she emphasized that while lifts are available, they can only accommodate one person at a time. Furthermore, she said that there are elevators only in some campus buildings such as the PLDT Convergent Technologies Center, the John Gokongwei School of Management building, Leong Hall, New Rizal Library, Areté, and the Manuel V. Pangilingan Center for Student Leadership.

Although ramps are more common on campus, they can still only be found in select places like Berchmans Hall, Matteo Ricci Study Hall, Faura Hall, Gonzaga Hall, and the three Science Education Complex buildings, aside from the aforementioned structures.

Partnering with the commission

In spite of previous initiatives for PWSN inclusivity and awareness, Quiwa and Department of Student Rights Head Moirah Isabelo said in a joint interview that there have not been any previous efforts to establish a PWSN commission or sector.

According to Quiwa and Isabelo, sectors take part in the decision-making process in the whole LS. They have a vote in the CA, allowing them to lobby for policies. Meanwhile, commissions are not autonomous and instead fall directly under a specific Sanggunian department.

Quiwa recalled in an interview that the creation of the commission was prompted by Ignacianidad 2019: Sonder, an annual leadership summit that invites student leader delegates from different Jesuit universities. He said that Ateneo SPEED President Mary Chow was the first person to come forward when there was a call for ideas on how to improve the LS community for PWSNs.

Chow said that Ateneo SPEED urged the Sanggunian for representation for the special needs sector. However, she said that since it would take longer to form this, they agreed to lobby for a commission for PWSNs to begin their joint plans for making the campus more PWSN-inclusive this year.

Several plans for the commission were discussed among the members of the Sanggunian and Ateneo SPEED’s Executive Board. These initial plans include new course offerings or free electives such as sign language, appeals to offices for better facilities, increased faculty training and sensitivity, policy-making, and campaigns to increase PWSN awareness such as integration to the Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions (InTACT) modules and the “Disability Awareness Week.”

Recognizing a new sector

Quiwa explained that although the importance of PWSN considerations in the Ateneo community is unquestionable, the initiative for heightened PWSN inclusivity cannot be rushed.

“They’re a minority that [have] been overlooked for quite some time,” he said. “It’s important to represent all kinds of Ateneans.”

For Isabelo, she hopes that the student body will support the new commission. “The more people rally behind this, the easier it is to establish it,” she said.

Chow reiterated that although Ateneo already encourages PWSN inclusivity, she is hopeful that these efforts will be pushed further because there is still much to be done.

“Hopefully through this commission, we will be able to reach more people and form more advocates to passionately and actively serve [a] sector that deserves to be heard and to be included in society,” Chow said.