The Washington Group on the Improvement of Disability Statistics Globally: Perspectives from the Philippines

Abstract

The concern for, the protection, and the care of persons with disability are enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and legislated through a number of laws aimed at providing equal opportunities for them.With enhanced global, regional, and national efforts to address the needs, protect the rights and welfare, and advance the status of persons with disability, the Philippine Statistical System (PSS), particularly the then National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) and then National Statistics Office (NSO) (which is now replaced by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)), recognized the requirement for timely and accurate disability statistics. For example, a question on disability has been included in the 1990 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) conducted by the then NSO and has been continued in all succeeding censuses, excluding the 2007 Census of Population.Further, questions on functional difficulty, based on the recommended questions of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, were included in the core data items in the recently concluded 2010 CPH. The then NSCB issued statistical policies and has put in place mechanisms conducive to the development of statistics, including on disability (e.g., Philippine Statistical Development Program, Interagency Committee on Health and Nutrition Statistics, among others).The Philippines recognizes and highly appreciates the outstanding work that has been done by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics as well as the invaluable assistance and support it has provided to the PSS towards the development and improvement of disability statistics in the country.However, due to a number of factors such as the lack of statistical capacity of dutybearers/users of disability statistics; lack of resources allocated for disability statistics; methodological/operational problems, the development of disability statistics in the Philippines has not proceeded as fast as may be wished.

Romulo A. Virola and Jessamyn O. Encarnacion, Former Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) and International Consultant, and Policy Specialist of UN Women and former Director of the Social Statistics Office of NSCB, respectively. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the organizations they are and have been affiliated with.

Appendices

Acronyms

CPH:

Census of Population and Housing

DILG:

Department of Interior and Local Government

DOH:

Department of Health

DSWD:

Department of Social Welfare and Development

EO:

Executive Order

IAC-HNS:

Interagency Committee on Health and Nutrition Statistics

ICF:

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

MDG:

Millennium Development Goals

NAPC:

National Anti-Poverty Commission

NCCDP:

National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons

NCDA:

National Council on Disability Affairs

NCDPC:

National Center for Disease Prevention and Control

NCHS:

National Center for Health Statistics

NCWDP:

National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons

NDS:

National Disability Survey

NGO:

Non-Government Organizations

NHTS-PR:

National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction

NSCB:

National Statistical Coordination Board

NSDS:

National Strategies for the Development of Statistics

NSO:

National Statistics Office

PopCen:

Census of Population

PHIN:

Philippine Health Information Network

PSDP:

Philippine Statistical Development Program

PSS:

Philippine Statistical System

PWD:

Persons with disability

RA:

Republic Act

UNSC:

United Nations Statistical Commission

UPGH:

University of the Philippines General Hospital

Appendix

Questions in the 1980 Philippines National Disability Survey

• 1. Type of handicap/disability

  • a) Missing limbs

  • b) Unequal length of limbs

  • c) Deformity of limbs

  • d) Deformity of spine

  • e) Joint/muscle pain

  • f) Weakness/paralysis of limbs

  • g) Impairment of sensation

  • h) Abnormality in limb tone

  • i) Abnormal movement of limb

  • j) Weakness/paralysis of face

  • k) Impairment of bowel/urinary control

  • l) Impotence

  • m) Hearing disorder

  • n) Speech disorders

  • o) Visual disorders

  • p) Disfigurements

  • q) Chronic respiratory disorders

• 2. Functional limitations

  • a) Feeding

  • b) Dressing

  • c) Bathing

  • d) Toilet activities

  • e) Sexual performance

  • f) Fetching water

  • g) Looking after children

  • h) Going to market/shopping

  • i) Washing clothes

  • j) Cleaning the house

  • k) Moving in and out of the garden/yard

  • l) Doing kitchen work

  • m) Bed making

• 3. Communication

  • a) Talking

  • b) Hearing

  • c) Writing

  • d) Reading

  • e) Making gestures/signs

• 4. Manual dexterity

  • a) Grasping/holding

  • b) Reaching out

  • c) Coordination of upper extremities

• 5. Mobility and endurance

  • a) Can take public transport without assistance

  • b) Ambulant without assistance

  • c) Ambulant with aids (canes, crutches, braces etc.)

  • d) Ambulant only with artificial limb

  • e) Walks, but needs guiding and personal support

  • f) Walks but cannot stand/sit unaided

• Washington Group Extended Questions for Core Functional Domains

• 6. Mental impairment

• Vision:

  • Do you have difficulty seeing and recognizing a person you know from 7 m (20 ft) away?Do you have difficulty seeing the print in a map, newspaper, or book?

• Hearing:

• Mobility:

• Cognition:

  • Do you have difficulty remembering the names of people or places?

  • Do you have difficulty remembering appointments?

  • Do you have difficulty remembering how to get to familiar places?

  • Do you have difficulty remembering important tasks, like taking medications or paying bills?

  • Do you have difficulty concentrating on doing something for 10 min?

  • Do you have difficulty learning a new task, for example, learning how to get to a new place?

  • Do you have difficulty finding solutions to problems in day to day life?

• Communication:

• Self-Care

  • Do you have difficulty reaching up over your head?

  • Do you have difficulty reaching out as if to shake someone’s hand?

  • Do you have difficulty using your fingers to button a shirt or dress?

  • Do you have difficulty putting on socks or stocking?

  • Do you have difficulty tying your shoelaces?

  • Do you have difficulty combing your hair?

  • Do you have difficulty feeding yourself?