The President of the Philippines recently issued Proclamation No. 597, declaring the period of 17 to 23 July of every year as National Disability Rights Week (NDRW). This issuance amends former Proclamation Nos. 1870 (s. 1979) declaring the third week of July of every year as the “National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week and 361 (s. 2000) declaring July 23 of every year as the culmination of the NDPR Week, in commemoration of the date of birth of the Sublime Paralytic, Apolinario Mabini. It aims to promote a rights-based approach on the celebration, consistent with the purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
Relative to this, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), as lead agency on disability advocacy, will spearhead the celebration that will highlight the capacities of persons with disabilities and showcase various government programs, services and initiatives in partnership and cooperation with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs) in promoting the access, inclusion and empowerment of the persons with disability sector. For 45 consecutive years, the National Council on Disability Affairs has celebrated the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week for the sector and has introduced different activities every year. By virtue of Proclamation No. 1870 issued on June 22, 1979 by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week is held every July 17 to 23. Subsequently, on August 19, 2000, President Joseph E. Estrada issued Proclamation No. 361 superseding Proclamation No. 1870 wherein the celebration of that weeklong event was spearheaded by the Council.
For years, the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week has addressed various issues and concerns of the disability sector, often with the intent to lead the sector to be empowered and be fully integrated into society. From 2020 to 2021, the NDPR Week focused on the issues surrounding the Pandemic and how persons with disabilities, with the help of the Philippine government, can maneuver through the challenges it brought. On June 19, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared July 17-23 of every year as the “National Disability Rights Week”. For its 46th year, NDPR Week will be known henceforth as the National Disability Rights Week. This year’s theme is “Promoting Inclusion: Celebrating Abilities and Advocating Access”.
Objectives:
- To promote inclusion by emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive environments through the removal of physical and social barriers that hinder the full participation of persons with disabilities in our society;
- To celebrate abilities by recognizing such and the resilience of persons with disabilities that serve as a testament to their strength and determination to stand up again, overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams despite the barriers they may encounter;
- To advocate access by highlighting the need for a collaborative inter-agency effort to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to education, employment, information, transportation, facilities, resources and other opportunities that enable them to fully participate and contribute to society.
