It has come to my attention that there is a recent bill regarding the labeling of disabled persons or for others, persons with disabilities as “persons of determination.”
While the rationale of the bill may have good intentions, it still lacks merit. Indeed, we need to change the perception about disabled persons. However, such bill would only be futile since it ignores the root cause on why disability exists.
As explained by the likes of Marta Russell and Michael Oliver, the term “disability” is used to designate the socioeconomic restrictions imposed on top of our impairment, both physical and mental. Such results in what is called as “disablement” wherein it is the negative result of the socioeconomic influence of the socioeconomic structures of a given society.
To simply label us as “persons of determination” implies that disability as a struggle and an oppression is not real. It fails to account for why society continues to spread prejudice and exclusion against the disabled person collectively regardless of having different impairments.
What the government should prioritize is to address the root cause of disability wherein our socioeconomic system overemphasizes body politics and the standard ideal body. It is because up until now, the notion of disabled is still being feared since it used to describe how productive a person is under the said ruthless system.
Lastly, I urge the disabled community most especially the self-advocates to not be limited in nongovernment organization works but rather, to strengthen themselves as a political force. Despite the United Nations’ report that the world’s disabled persons are mostly found in the global south, including the Philippines, the politics of disability and disability studies remains unheard of.
Ronald G. De Guzman Jr.,
rgdeguzman1@up.edu.ph