SM is continuously living up to its commitment of a mall where no one gets left behind.
The recent special movie screening for the deaf and blind upholds SM’s position as the most PWD-friendly mall in the country.
220 special kids with hearing and visual impairments were invited at SM Cinema to watch the movie “Pan” which had been modified with audio description and closed captioning. The modified movie screening allowed the special kids to enjoy movie experience like the other movie-going public.
Ms. Veronica Galicia, SPED Coordinator of Old Cabalan Integrated School has expressed gratitude to SM for the “exposure and the good opportunity of allowing our kids to watch a movie here in SM.”
Paquito Figuero, DepEd special education coordinator emphasized the value of sharing and the dedication to help the children with special needs.
SM Cares’ initiatives for PWDs include the Angels Walk for Autism, the Happy Walk for Down Syndrome, the special screening of movies for the deaf and the blind, earthquake preparedness conference for PWDS, the special voters’ registration for PWDs and senior citizens and the PWD assistance training for the front liners under the office of Vice President for Operations and Program Director for SM Cares Committee on Disability Affairs Engr. Bien C. Mateo.
The special movie screening on November 15 at SM City Olongapo is made possible through SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation in partnership with Deaf Blind Support Philippines, Inc., CALL Foundation of the Blind and MTRCB and SM Cinema– to bring greater accessibility of movies and visual media to PWDs in the Philippines.
The event was held in partnership with various SPED schools such as Old Cabalan Integrated School, New Kalalake Elementary School, Gordon Heights 1 Elementary School, Sergia Soriano Esteban Integrated School 1, Olongapo City National High School and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office.
Exposure to this kind of activity is a breakthrough in enhancing social participation and independence of the persons with visual and hearing impairments and other PWDs.