Seminar on Handling Customers with Special Needs is one of the activities and initiatives of SM Cares that focus on serving the customers and the community where SM malls operate. In that way, employees, tenants, agencies and affiliates are given the opportunity to be more comfortable interacting with people with disabilities.
The recent seminar on How to Recognize and Handle Children with Special needs especially those in the Autism Spectrum Disorder was discussed by Dr. David Calapatia, vice president Autism Society Olongapo Chapter and Millette B. Sarmiento, SPED Coordinator- Gordon Heights I Elementary SPED Center who discussed The Basics: Interacting with People with Disabilities.
In an aim to provide service that welcomes people with disabilities and better service to everyone SM Supermalls established the SM Committee on Disability Affairs under SM Cares that led to partnerships with disabled groups and more focus on the needs of the disabled. Through this effort, SM malls have become PWD friendly and they can now enjoy malling with friends and family.
“We are happy and thankful to SM for helping out in spreading awareness and giving out information on how to handle differently-abled persons,” Dr. David Calapatia expressed.
“It’s better to call them differently-abled because though they look differently, act differently, still they have traits and abilities,” Millette Sarmiento said. SM provides facilities like PWD ramps, toilet with handlebars, counters which are accessible to wheelchairs, elevator with braille dots, exclusive comfort rooms for PWDs, and they also have PWD employees onboard.
