COVID-19 exacerbated issues already experienced by the sector pre-pandemic
149.
Parents’ and other stakeholders’ support is critical for students and
workers with disabilities. The lack of support of some parents for their
children with disabilities can be due to a lack of awareness of the kind of
support their children need, which is why support and assistance from
other stakeholders are also crucial. Moreover, pre-existing issues on the
right to education of learners with disabilities were highlighted even more
during the pandemic. For instance, some modules were inaccessible to
students with visual impairment who needed a screen reader, or the printed
modules could not be translated to audio, so they found it more difficult to
understand the lessons.
150.
Preference for remote learning and face-to-face learning varies
depending on a student’s impairment. Some students with impairments
prefer attending face-to-face classes because they miss interacting with
their classmates and teachers. On the other hand, other students, like
those on the autism spectrum, favor online classes because their
opportunities to socialize are minimized, and they are less likely to be
bullied. In addition to this, going to school is more expensive because of
the added transportation costs.
151.
School-to-work transition is different for youth with disabilities. A
CSO participant notes that transition from school for children and youth
with disabilities is unique because it can mean many things: transition from
work to sheltered employment, from school to supportive employment, or
from school to open employment. Moreover, public school teachers have
no clear understanding of what transition means for children and youth with
developmental impairment, and there is no proper curriculum for their
transition from school to employment
.
Analysis of the Existing Structures,
Programs, and Processes of the Stakeholders
This section provides an examination of the existing programs and processes in
relation to the key findings.
Program/course and job matching
152.
While there are career placement offices and placement support groups
through the alumni network industry linkages and companies, these are
mostly offered and found in private universities. State universities and local
colleges do not necessarily have the same mechanisms in place.
153.
Ironically, employers in the private sector and CSOs want to work with
more key government agencies with school-to-work transition programs,
so the policies and guidelines to be developed or reforms to be made are
aligned with industry trends and standards. This has been taken into
account by NEDA by updating the PDP 2017-2022 to include strategies for
School-to-Work Transition and recommending further amendments in
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