5.2 Profile of Non-Governmental Organizations of/for Persons with Disabilities

The Autism Society Philippines (formerly known as the Foundation for Autistic Children and Adults of the Philippines) is a national, non-profit organization of parents, professionals and institutions dedicated to the education and well-being of children and adults with autism. The Autism Society Philippines envisions an environment conducive to the development of persons with autism and other disabilities to become, to the best of their potentials, independent, self-reliant, productive and socially accepted members of society while committing itself to the establishment of institutional mechanisms to support persons with autism and their families.

Award-winning Deaf artists from Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Baguio and La Union banding together to showcase their talents in group exhibits and team projects. Together they wish to raise public awareness about deafness and generate livelihood for themselves and their families.

A young livelihood organization of Deaf teachers offering group classes and individual tutorials in Filipino Sign Language; provides a learning haven for those wishing to discover/develop sign language for personal growth and communication skills and gain social awareness of Deaf culture.

KAMPI is a federation of Self Help groups of Disabled Persons in the Philippines. Its aim is to work for the improvement of the lives of persons with mental, physical, and sensory impairment. KAMPI was established by the Second National Congress of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in July 1990, KAMPIs founding was both a response to the formal recognition by the Philippine government of Persons With Disabilities as a legitimate sector of Philippine society and the need to create a national organization of PWDs.

Lingap Pangkabataan promotes the holistic development of children in especially difficult circumstances and children in survival situations, thereby enhancing their physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual development. The organization contributes to the development of public awareness and social measures that are conducive to the enjoyment of the rights of children through networking and linkages with local Churches, NGOs and local government units.

Philippine Cerebral Palsy, Inc.(PCPI), is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the treatment and alleviation of cerebral palsy in the Philippines. Since its inception, the foundation has been in the forefront in the battle against cerebral palsy. The PCPI center is the only clinic in the country that is dedicated to the treatment of this condition. Prior of 1996, the PCPI Center was the only one of its kind in South East Asia. There is no Philippine government program that deals exclusively with cerebral palsy in spite of the large number of cases.

The national Deaf organization founded in 1997and composed of 17 member Deaf organizations. PFD is the official Philippine representative and affiliated member of the the World Federation of the Deaf, an international advocacy body recognized by the United Nations. Current flagship project is production of Filipino Sign Language dictionary.

The Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA) was formally organized in 1950 and remains a formidable leader in the field of mental health. It continues to strengthen its partnership with the government, non-government organizations, the business sector, as well as international organizations such as the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Association on Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) to achieve its goal of promoting sound mental health for the Filipino people. It offers educational information services such as promoting mental health through conferences, seminar-workshops, school-based mental health clubs, programs on parenting, mental health community outreach program, public information through print and broadcast media, training and research, and library services. PMHA also provides clinical and diagnostic services through outpatient, psychological psychiatric services treatment, and therapeutic intervention to children, youth, and adults with emotional, behavioral, psychological and psychiatric disorders. PMHA operates a community-based sheltered workshop which provides vocational training and work placement for persons with mental disabilities and special needs. Therapeutic Services include Occupational Therapy, Psychosocial/ Educational Program, Life Skills Training, and Client-Family Enrichment Programs.

Resources for the Blind, Inc., is a non-profit charitable organization that was formed in 1988 to serve the blind while providing a full spectrum of services to blind people throughout the country. Their goals are to remove obstacles that prevent blind Filipinos from reaching their fullest potential. They provide counseling, rehabilitation, education and training. The Director of the organization translated the Bible into Filipino Braille along with cassette and large print publications.

Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH) was established in 1972 and is an umbrella organization for homes built to house PWDs. The homes offer employment with subsidized rent. Children of the disabled employed at the homes are offered free education and provides sponsors for two years of collage. TWH is operated by the Board of the Philippine Council of the Chesire Homes for the Disabled. The Philippine council is a partner of the Leonard Chesire Foundation. The home is also supported by the RFM Corporation, Social Action for Filipino Youth, Asian Social Institute, and students from Saint Theresas College.

Handicap International, is an international solidarity organization which aided in the establishment of 15 orthopedic and prosthetic workshops in the Philippines since 1988. With the aid of the Embassy of Japan, Handicap International built an orthopedic and prosthesis center at the Notre Dame Hospital in Cotabato City.

Instituted in the Philippines in March 2000, ChildSight screened 432 students and provided 48 students and 16 teachers with eyeglasses within its first few weeks of operation. Helen Keller works with various institutions in the development of preventive programs in the Philippines.

Save the Children envisions a world in which every child is ensured a right to survival, protection, development and participation as defined in the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. Programs include health and nutrition; education, training, and resource development; gender and development, sustainable development and community and livelihood development.

World Vision was established in the Philippines in 1957 and currently has over 200 professional staff. World Vision stresses transformational development focused especially on the needs, rights and responsibilities of children, peoples empowerment and sustainable development.