Magna Carta for Persons with Disability

Section 12

The State shall ensure that persons with disability are provided with adequate access to quality education and ample opportunities to develop their skills. It shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all persons with disability. It shall be unlawful for any learning institution to deny a disabled person admission to any course it offers by reason of handicap or disability. The State shall take into consideration the special requirements of persons with disability in the formulation of educational policies and programs. It shall encourage learning institutions to take into account the special needs of persons with disability with respect to the use of school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements, and other pertinent consideration. The State shall also promote the provision by learning institutions, especially higher learning institutions of auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process for persons with disability.

Section 13

The State shall provide financial assistance to economically marginalized but deserving disabled students pursuing post secondary or tertiary education. Such assistance may be in the form of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives to qualified disabled students in both public and private schools. At least five percent (5%) of the allocation for the Private Education Student Financial Assistance Program created by virtue of R.A. 6725 shall be set aside for disabled students pursuing vocational or technical and degree courses.

Section 14

The State shall establish, maintain and support complete, adequate and integrated system of special education for the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded persons and other types of exceptional children in all regions of the country. Toward this end, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall establish, special education classes in public schools in cities, or municipalities. It shall also establish, where viable, Braille and Record Libraries in provinces, cities or municipalities. The National Government shall allocate funds necessary for the effective implementation of the special education program nationwide. Local government units may likewise appropriate counterpart funds to supplement national funds.

Section 15

The State shall provide persons with disability with training in civics, vocational efficiency, sports and physical fitness, and other skills. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall establish in at least one government-owned vocational and technical school in every province a special vocational and technical training program for persons with disability. It shall develop and implement sports and physical fitness programs specifically designed for persons with disability taking into consideration the nature of their handicap.

Section 16

The State shall develop non-formal education programs intended for the total human development of persons with disability. It shall provide adequate resources for non-formal education programs and projects that cater to the special needs of persons with disability.

Section 17

If viable and needed, the state university or state college in each region or province shall be responsible for (a) the development of material appliances and technical aids for persons with disability; (b) the development of training materials for vocational rehabilitation and special education instructions; (c) the research on special problems, particularly of the visually-impaired, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired, and orthopedically-impaired students, mentally retarded, and multi-handicapped and others, and the elimination of social barriers and discrimination against persons with disability; and (d) inclusion of the Special Education for Disabled (SPED) course in the curriculum. The national government shall provide these state universities and colleges with the necessary special facilities for visually-impaired, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired, and orthopedically-impaired students. It shall likewise allocate the necessary funds in support of the above.