Problems Faced of Students with Disabilities in Puro National High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

According to National Council on Disability Affairs, there are 4 public elementary schools in Albay for children with disabilities, 2 from public high school namely Daraga National High School and SPED Center in Rawis, Legazpi, City and 2 from Private SPED schools (http://www.ncda.gov.ph/albay/). Here in Masbate, only Jose Zurbito Jr. Elementary School offers a SPED class (http://www.ncda.gov.ph/ masbate/). The researchers observed students with disabilities who are enrolled at Puro National High School. As observed, some of them have the same group of friends, not interacting with others and walk around the campus in a low profile. This instance motivates the researchers to study the problems faced by students with disabilities.

METHODS

Phenomenology type of qualitative research design was used in this study. These describe the experiences and the situations of students with disabilities as they lived in a community or society with people who are with a different attitude towards them. It also describes the problems that the students with disabilities faced through actions and words of people that surround them and how disability is treated into the understanding of society. The researcher used purposive sampling. The researchers identified those students of Puro National High School who have disabilities that affect them personally, emotionally and socially. The researchers used an interview guide with open-ended questions to gather the information that the researchers need in their study.

RESULTS

The result shows that most of the students with disabilities suffer from bullying. Personally, they felt bad for themselves, socially they were shy to get along with others, and emotionally they get hurt whenever they were bully, teased or imitated by others. As to the coping mechanisms of the students with a disability, they just ignore those people who do bad things on them as long as they have their support system which is their family.

DISCUSSIONS

Bullying significantly affects students with disabilities personally, socially and emotionally. This reality portrays that PWD's are discriminated everywhere. This fact was proven by Houchen (2016) who states that bullying is seriously affecting the psychological, social and physical of the well-being of students. This instance manifests that policies related to discrimination among PWD's should be implemented seriously to better improve their well-being (Tabuga & Mina, 2011).