Philippine National Women with Disabilities Day

An advocate for disability inclusion in the Philippines

Overcoming her visual disability, Maria Criselda Bisda has become a leading voice for disability inclusion in technical and vocational education, as part of the ILO-UK Skills for Prosperity Programme.

Comment | 28 March 2022
Maria Criselda Bisda
My name is Maria Criselda Bisda. I’m a 37-year-old from Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

I wasn’t born blind. My disability is caused by Retinitis pigmentosa. I lost my vision when I was about to enter college.

I was in a mainstream school or educational institution until my master’s degree. I took psychology as my undergraduate degree, and then a technical and vocational education certificate course for disability inclusion in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Australia in 2014 before taking my master’s degree in human resources management there.

When I was in college my professor despised me for being in his class. He told me he cannot handle a class with someone with disability or who is blind. So, he suggested that I leave the class. That was very direct and obviously brutal discrimination.

As I am headstrong I asked him why didn’t he read his exams to me. And that’s it. He took on the challenge and read the exams to me.

When it comes to applying for a job it wasn’t easy for me. They often asked me: How can a blind person work given that they cannot see anything, especially in human resources? They thought you cannot conduct interviews. I had to explain what a screen reader can do, and how technology can help me with my work.

People with disabilities in rural and poor areas are even more marginalised. They do not have access to even the basic needs like water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. They do not have internet connectivity which was a very big problem once the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in. People were forced to shift to virtual classes or virtual work and so many lost opportunities.

After college, I worked as a recruitment officer at an international call centre. Then I moved to another outsourcing company and became part of their HR team. The companies I worked with have operationalised diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity policies. I was hired because they looked at my qualifications and disregarded my disability.

I then moved to undertake social research and consultancy for disability inclusion and inclusive employment. I have been part of the production of several public research materials.

I am very proud that I was part of the most daring and first ever research done in the Philippines on sexual and reproductive health of women with disabilities.

I am living the challenges. I am part of what I advocate for."

Maria Criselda Bisda
Since last year I’ve been one of the leads of the Project Inclusion Network’s research on disability inclusion in TVET conducted with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, as part of partnership with the ILO-UK Skills for Prosperity Programme in the Philippines.

We are now heading towards the action phase of research where we are inviting participants to join our focus group discussions. This research is very helpful because the lived experience and challenges of people with disabilities accessing TVET education in the Philippines has not been documented clearly in the past. This project is promising not just for the ILO but also for the entire disability sector.

Those of us with disabilities will definitely benefit from the results of this research because it should lead to better access for people with disabilities to any course they like. This will lead to broader work opportunities because TVET is another option for extending or expanding your economic activities and employment choices. Our government will also know how to restructure or reshape policy.

I usually don’t advise specific jobs for any person with disability. I don’t want to force them into a certain job they are not passionate about. There should be a lot of upskilling for people with disabilities because they need to be up to or above par with those without disabilities in terms of skills and knowledge.

What I hope for are that structures and systems will become more inclusive to people with disabilities. I want them to have choices. What I want to hear from them is that they’re able to access what they want to do.

My message to policymakers and society is remain open to learn about those who are marginalised. The best people to explain this are those with disabilities. I am living the challenges. I am part of what I advocate for.

FAST FACTS
  • In the Philippines, it is estimated that about 1.44 million persons or 1.57 percent of the population has a disability, and of this, females with disabilities comprised 49.1 percent.
  • Among people with disabilities, there are significant disparities between men and women in educational attainment, employment, income and policy awareness. For instance, females make only a third of the income of men with the same education, age, marital status, and disability. Barriers to accessing education and training and decent jobs are more deeply entrenched for females with disabilities than for males.
  • Women with disabilities are among various margnalised groups who still do not enjoy the same access to TVET as their mainstream counterparts. Training institutions are scarce in less developed areas. The hidden costs of completing TVET—such as transportation—are still a burden for poor families.
  • Gender biases in TVET and occupational choices persist. Choice of courses is limited for women, so are their jobs after graduation.
  • For women with disabilities, various forms of discrimination intersect and so the challenges they face compound and become harsher and more complex.
  • Since 2020, the ILO-UK Skills for Prosperity Programme in the Philippines has worked with partners to facilitate their effort to broaden access to skills development and the TVET system among marginalised groups prioritising youth and women, and applying training approaches and skills development models that meet the needs of marginalised groups.