Healthcare Workers Train on Standard Disability Assessment

Around 200 local health officers, disability affairs focal persons, and community advocates completed a specialized training on standardized disability categorization on July 31 in Calasiao, Pangasinan. The session trained assessors on evaluating individuals based on daily functional limitations rather than medical diagnoses alone, following Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2025-0014, the PIA reports.

Organized by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and Physicians for Peace-Philippines, specialists from the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine oriented participants on standard evaluation methods. The updated system covers nine official disability categories:

• Physical
• Visual
• Hearing
• Speech and language
• Learning, intellectual, and mental
• Cancer and rare diseases

Participants engaged in practical exercises to apply uniform standards when recommending Persons with Disabilities (PWD) identification cards. Rasel Grado, a physical therapist at the Stimulation Therapeutic and Activity Center in Sta. Barbara, noted that local residents frequently inquire about eligibility. Grado said, “I often encounter individuals who come to our office asking whether they qualify for a PWD ID and what disability category applies to them. That is why I wanted to learn more about the standards.”

PSWDO head Annabelle Roque emphasized that standardized categorization ensures qualified individuals receive appropriate social services, government benefits, and assistive technologies based on their functional needs. Roque said, “Disability is not merely a health concern but a human rights and development issue,” adding that uniform assessment practices also support the rollout of the National ID System for Persons with Disabilities.

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SOURCE: PIA