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| (Image Source: SM Investments Corporation) |
SM Cares, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of SM Supermalls, staged its Sensitivity Training for Customers with Different Needs as part of the shopping mall chain's continuous efforts to promote social inclusion in its malls by educating mall frontliners on how to care for persons with disabilities (PWD). During the two-day event held virtually via Zoom last July 21 and 28, five of SM Cares' long-time partners in its PWD advocacy have shared their insights and best practices on how to treat differently-abled mall goers presented in five key topics. A total of 13,796 attendees comprising of security and maintenance personnel, mall receptionists, cashiers and mall employees joined the online event simultaneously held in 121 venues nationwide.
Resource speakers for day one (July 21) focused on assisting people with different disabilities. Hard of Hearing Philippines President Sebastian Saflor, United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Accessibility Committee Chairman Arch. Jaime Silva and Tahanang Walang Hagdan Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lita Evangelista talked about caring for hearing and deaf people, the blind and visually impaired, and orthopedically impaired individuals respectively. For the second day (July 28), the resource speakers were Autism Society Philippines (ASP) National President Mona Magno-Veluz who talked about caring for people with autism and Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines Inc. (DSAPI)'s Agnes Lapeña who shared and detailed how to care for people with Down Syndrome.
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| (Image Source: SM Investments Corporation) |
“The SM Cares’ Sensitivity Training for Persons with Different needs is an institutional project of SM Supermalls which started way back in 2002 to promote a barrier-free and inclusive business environment. By conducting this annual training, we are creating a safer community for our PWD customers, while making our services better for them. This is part of our continuous learning process in order to better serve our communities,” said SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Operations Engr. Bien Mateo. “The late Henry Sy Sr., our founder, would always remind us of “malasakit” or mindfulness. This training is all about that. Through this Sensitivity Training, we want to understand our PWD customer. This effort is going beyond what was required to make sure that our malls are accessible,” added SM Supermalls Senior Assistant Vice President for Customer Relations Services Almus J. Alabe.
The Sensitivity Training for Customers with Different Needs is one of the many initiatives of SM Cares for PWDs which include the annual Angels Walk in partnership with ASP held every January in celebration of National Autism Consciousness Month, the annual Happy walk in partnership with DSAPI held every February in celebration of National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month, and the annual Emergency Preparedness Forum aimed at educating PWDs and senior citizens on what to do during emergencies. Through these initiatives, SM Cares supports the tenth United Nations' Sustainability Development Goal: Reducing Inequalities. To further promote its advocacy on promoting an inclusive environment for differently abled persons in all of its malls, SM Cares is set to hold a similar training session for its mall tenants within the month of September. For more information on SM Cares' programs and initiatives, visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.
