THE Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) has been promoting a non-handicapping environment in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Government of Japan, as well as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap).

Jaime G. Silva, chair of Committee on Accessibility, Commission on Governmental and External Affairs, was an ex-participant of the APCD Workshop on Non-handicapping Environment. He has been promoting the same advocacy in the Philippines with the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWPD) and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP).

A JICA Project usually collaborates with the government sector, but this APCD project collaborates with nongovernmental organizations, especially organizations for persons with disabilities.

SM Supermalls adopted not only the basic concept of a non-handicapping environment, but also the promotion of a more inclusive society for all. Since more than 600 million persons with disabilities live in the Asia-Pacific Region, the Unescap set up the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 2008-2012, or the Diwako Millennium Framework for Action Toward an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.

There are seven priorities, and one of them is to develop “access to built environments and the public transport” by self-help organizations of persons with disabilities and related family and parent associations.

Charity

In the 20th century, the concept of helping persons with disabilities was regarded as a charity, but in the 21st century, such accessibility and inclusivity have been enshrined as human rights.

The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in December 2007. More than 20 countries ratified the CRPD and it became effective in May 2008. The government of the Philippines was one of the first countries to ratify the CRPD in the Asia-Pacific Region.

SM Supermalls became a model of the Asia-Pacific Region to promote not only environment accessibility, but also inclusive, barrier-free marketing and customer service.

Corporate social responsibility tenets encourages the commercial corporations to develop business ethics, and in the increasingly conscience-focused marketplaces of the 21st century, the demand for more ethical business processes and actions is increasing, particularly in the disability and inclusive development area.

SM Supermalls has long been promoting job placement for persons with disabilities, awareness and campaign for inclusive society, particularly persons with intellectual disabilities, autism, mobility, blindness and also deafness. It has been training security guards, parking controllers and janitors to understand disability and its special needs.

As such, SM Prime Holdings chair Henry Sy Sr. and president Hans T. Sy, are promoting a more humane way of doing business.

APCD encouraged the president of SM Supermalls, Annie S. Garcia, to present their project on the promotion of non-handicapping environment and inclusive society at the United Nations ESCAP Workshop on Empowerment of People with Disabilities and a Barrier-free Society through Networking and Collaboration,

The report was well taken by the United Nations community and international organizations concerned with disability. The business sector, and especially SM’s, participation in promoting a humane approach to business was considered pioneering.

In recognition of SM Supermalls’ efforts for disabled people in the Philippines, it has now received the 2008 National Apolinario Mabini Award, as well as recognition in the rest of the Asia Pacific Region.

APCD will continue to advocate for SM Supermalls as a model business sector for other business enterprises in dealing with persons with disabilities and their families.

The author is the chief adviser of the Japan International Cooperation Agency