College Student Shares Unpleasant Experience Being PWD in Philippines
A Filipino college student has shared his experience as a person with disabilities (PWD) in both the Philippines and Taiwan.
Twitter user Gino Lopez expressed his disappointment over his unpleasant encounter as a PWD in the Philippines, sparking reactions from netizens online.
Gino, a college student in Taiwan, encountered an accident while playing soccer, resulting in a fractured, sprained ankle, and a slightly dislocated foot. He was immediately rushed to the emergency hospital and underwent prompt surgery.
In Taiwan, he was provided with a wheelchair and was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of accessibility infrastructure throughout Taipei. This allowed him to move around with ease, and he noticed a significantly faster healing process compared to his previous experience with crutches.
After returning to the Philippines, Gino opted to use crutches despite his doctor’s advice to walk without them.
“In Taiwan, I even had to be on wheelchair! But the big difference—the ABUNDANCE of wheelchair infrastructure in Taiwan! My ankle healed WAY faster because I did not have to suffer in crutches & navigating Taipei was relatively easy; LIGHTYEARS ahead of the PH,” Gino shared.
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Unfortunately, he faced challenges as MRT staff and fellow passengers repeatedly asked him to stand up, unaware of his condition. He even had to reveal his surgery scar to prove his need for assistance.
“When I went back to the PH, I started to use crutches. However, since the doctor said I should be able to walk, I tried going around that day without crutches as my friend would help me get around… On the way to North Avenue [MRT], the staff & other passengers were asking me to stand up, and I had to repeat myself across several stops my condition. Eventually, I just raised my pants above my ankle so they can see the surgery scar,” he added.
Gino faced various challenges when traveling Manila on crutches. Stairs and sidewalks proved particularly difficult, especially outside of the business center
“Navigating Manila was no easy feat on crutches either. There were some times I had tremendous difficulty navigating stairs & sidewalks—most especially outside the business district area,” he reiterated.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
What can you say about his experience? Just feel free to leave your comments and reactions to this article.
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