BUILDING A BARRIER-FREE ENVIRONMENT: THE IMPEMENTATION OF THE ACCESSIBILITY LAW IN GENERAL SANTOS CITY

The passage of Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 or the Accessibility Law for the Person with Disabilities aims to protect and promote the welfare and to create a barrier free community for the PWDs. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of compliance of the public offices in General Santos City to the Accessibility Law. This also examines the role of the agencies involved in implementation and the experience of the PWD sector in this buildings.

This study is a qualitative type of research and the method used for gathering data is Key Informant Interviews. This research mostly uses thematic analysis in presenting its data and information gathered and narrative analysis in delving into the interviews conducted with the PWDs.

The study found out that there is a difference in implementation of Batas Pambansa 344 between new buildings and old (existing) buildings. New buildings are more compliant and accessible compared to the existing buildings. Moreover, this study discern that the structural design of the building plays an important role in the mobility of the person with disabilities thus the need of agencies like the Person with Disability Affairs Office and City Engineer's Office. The offices ensure that the conditions of the PWDs are considered in formulating and planning in order to create a more inclusive atmosphere for the PWDs.