Be it a hotel, restaurant, store, or any other thing that you thought ” let me call ahead and ask if thats wheelchair accessable” was a good idea but let me warn you now, that just may be a precursor. Do your homework because maybe your asking loses a little something in the translation and some will say “oh yes sir we are accessable” and your idea and thier’s is comepletly differant. Unfortuneatly your only guarantee is to check it out for yourself. I am certainly not blaming the filipino people for noit understanding what you are asking its just that there is not alot of education in the country about wheelchair accessability mostly because it is still common for a large part of the filipino disabled community not to have learned or had access to the concept of independent living. Although it certainly is getting better in some areas as there are now a few out. To best explain why here is an excerpt from independentliving.org
“It is generally recognized that in most Asian and Pacific countries, where mutual caring and support in the community is a norm, there is no need for disabled persons to live physically and financially apart from their families. A child is educated and trained to be a contributing member of the family rather than to manage her/his own household alone. Thus, the concept of independent living associated with the developed countries is not always relevant in the developing countries.”
and this is why there may be little education or even thought to making anything more accessable in the Philippines. So whats the moral ? try it and report back to me and we will post it here !!
