CALL 2nd Digi Talks in the Philippines

On September 10, AGENDA partner in the Philippines Center for Advocacy Learning and Livelihood (CALL) Foundation held its second Digi Talks to disseminate results from its second online coordination committee discussion organized on August 12, 2021. CALL Foundation is collaborating with seven government agencies to advocate for DPO recommendations on the right to employment for persons with disabilities. The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) committed to developing an advocacy plan to move forward with the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) committed to assessing the inclusivity of its programs utilizing its Disability Inclusive Governance Framework that aims to mainstream disability-inclusive development in all policies, programs, and services of the Department. During the talk show, CALL Foundation also announced the winners of its static infographic and article writing contests launched on May 24, 2021. The two contests aimed at amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities using the Enabling Masterplan. The static infographic contest promoted the use of alternative text as a way to make images accessible for persons with visual disabilities. CALL Foundation received a total of nine entries for the static infographic contest and 21 entries for the article writing contest. The winning static infographic had a comprehensive and detailed alternative text and emphasized the importance of the Enabling Masterplan’s implementation to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, their families, personal assistants and caregivers. The winning article titled ‘Promoting Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities with the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Towards a Barrier-Free Region” emphasized that the Enabling Masterplan provides important guidance or solutions on how to make virtual and built environments accessible for persons with disabilities, making its implementation critical in supporting the rights of persons with disabilities. The winner of the static infographic and article writing contests were announced also via CALL Foundation’s Enabling Masterplan Facebook Page.