RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In this chapter, the researchers will analyze and describe the narrative experiences of

the students with disabilities, and their coping techniques from the collective data through

interviews. Additionally, the tone of the participants, as well as behaviors that are observed

during the interviews, will be presented in this chapter. Clearing and proving the stories

presented by the participants will be included in order to present and interpret the purpose of

this study.

Summary of Focal Themes

In identifying the themes that emerged from each of the experiences that are presented

to the researchers, researchers decided to create a summary of focal themes. In accordance

with the summary of narrative stories by the participants.

Table 1 below is presented to show the summary of focal themes brought from

narratives of the students with disabilities pertaining to their experiences in discrimination, their

coping techniques, and their suggestions/insights on how PWD - Friendly College of Arts and

Sciences in terms of physical infrastructures and in general. From experiences as a student with

a disability to experiences of discrimination to coping techniques, their suggestions, and their

inspiring journey being a student that belongs to the community in need. This will serve as an

aspiration to the readers to become empowered in understanding the data, especially the

essence of the study that is presented.

Table 1. Summary of Focal Themes.

PARTICIPANTS FOCAL FOCAL THEMES FOCAL THEMES FOCAL MAJOR

THEMES OF IN IN THEMES IN FOCAL
EXPERIENC PARTICIPANTS' PARTICIPANTS’ PARTICIPANT’ THEME
ES OF WELL - BEING COPING S
DISCRIMINA EXPERIENCING TECHNIQUES IN SUGGESTION
TION BEING DISCRIMINATION DISCRIMINATIO S AND
A STUDENT INSIDE THE N INSIGHTS TO
WITH COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL
DISABILITY ARTS IN INFRASTRUC
SCIENCES TURES OF
COLLEGE OF
ARTS IN
SCIENCES

Glyza A life being a Effect of Emotional Needs for Encourag

(Psychosocial student with discrimination to Awareness as a development. ing the
Disability) disabilities psychological coping Strategy. self to
inside the well being. strive and
campus. Choosing to be Electric fans focus.
Lots of doubts kind to herself must be
Felt normal about herself. and accept upgraded due
since her Which affects her herself, and to to too much
disability is psychological well those people heat inside the
non-apparent. - being. around her. college.

Experiences Effect of Distractions Priority Lane in

outside the discrimination to from the cafeterias for
university. emotional well situation that apparent
being. triggers well - disabilities.
Been being.
discriminated Fear of not being
against by ka- able to function Choosing to
baranggay regularly. aspire and stay
due to pwd id with herself and
and priority Effect of to bond with her
lanes for pwd. discrimination to closest friends,
social well being. classmates, and
family.
She felt like
everyone was
obligated and
responsible for
her.
Jan A life being a Effect of Emotional Needs for Being
(Speech student with discrimination to Awareness as a development. able to
Impairment) disabilities psychological coping Strategy. achieve
inside the well being. Physical her goals
campus. Self encouraging. infrastructures by
Feeling anxious She cannot must be overcomi
Bullied about the ‘look’ of please the people universal. ng her
through other people. in accepting her. struggles.
online Acting curious.
platforms. Distractions
Effect of from the
Experiences discrimination to situation that
outside the emotional well triggers well -
university. being. being.

People tend Breakdowns every Ignoring the

to check her time she goes people that
out, without a home. commonly give
face mask, negative
being curious Effect of feedback about
about her discrimination to her impairment.
impairment. social well being.

Wearing face
masks every time
she speaks, and
communicating
with peers.

Effect of
discrimination to
physical well
being.

A feeling of
insecurity with
herself.
Narrative Analysis of Glyza’s Experiences on Discrimination

Summary of Narrative

Glyza Zantua is in her 2nd semester as a 3 rd-year student at Cavite State University. A

21 year - old student from College of Arts and Sciences who has Psychosocial Disability.

Glyza first encountered discrimination outside the university as she underwent

vaccination for covid-19. She has PWD Identification and was prioritized due to the long queue.

Suddenly,

a man indirectly spoke that it’s much better to be a PWD due to prioritization.

“….First dose ng vaccine ko tapos ginamit– e mahaba ang pila e ang yung sakit ko kasi bawal

ako sa mainit na lugar kaya ang ginawa ko, e ano ko, ginamit ko yung i.d (PWD I.D) para ma

prioritize ako, tapos biglang nagtaka yung lalaki na.. Na kasama ko sa pila sabi niya bakit daw

ako in-una, kasi nga hindi nakikita yung sakit ko kaya inisip niya na parang may kapit lang *light

laugh* ako sa ganon, so – sabi niya dapat pala ano… dapat pala nag ano.. Pilay-pilayan nalang

ako para mauna nalang ako sa ganon tapos biglang tumawa siya *sudden raise of voice* naisip

ko na, ano kaya ang nakaka tuwa sa pagkakaroon ng sakit? Ayun po.”

Now that Glyza experienced that kind of situation, it affects her well - being as an

individual. She felt more insecure for herself, it breaks her heart knowing there are people who

are still in the midst of a non-understanding attitude towards other people. She had doubts in

her head for not being perfectly fine.

“… minsan – dumarating syempre sa point na napapatanong parin ako na bakit andami daming

tao bakit ako pa yung ganto *sad tone* kasi ano eh sa isang iglap kasi syempre nagbago

naman yung buhay ko. Tapos… ano… parang nadagdagan yun, nadagdagan yung stress ko
pag ano ko, kasi naiisip ko padin na *breaks voice* ganito ba talaga ang pakikitungo ng mga

tao.. May ano na nga ako eh, parang may mga – parang may mga hindi na nga akong kayang

gawin tapos biglang tatawanan parin ng… ganon.”

It affects her relationship with the family since she cannot function without the assistance

of her family. The feeling of needing to be watched out for every single step, she felt like

everyone around her will take responsibility for her since she has a disability.

“…lagi ko lang naiisip na mas maigi na may matapos ako at least uhm kahit may mga bagay

ako na di kayang gawin, may– mailalaban naman ako kasi may diploma at may pinag aralan…

*smiles* *laughs* –pakiramdam ko mas malakas ako sa kanila kasi nakakaya ko na magbyahe

mag isa nang ilan oras mula sa amin hanggang dito sa school hanggang sa pauwi, mag isa ako

na .. na… alam ko na anytime pwede ako mag seizure diyan pero ayun….” *laughs* kaya ko

*sniffs* *sniffs*

As per coping techniques, she just thinks about her education as a way of coping from

discrimination. She believes that striving for the future is the best way to deal with hardships.

Having determination for herself and to strive hard for her family is the best way to overcome

the challenge.

Since Glyza is a student from College of Arts and Sciences, she believed that the

physical infrastructures did affect her condition in terms of electric fans; it may cause her seizure

due to heat. She has suggestions which are also aligned with her needs as well.

“…Ah yung sa daan, oo. Kasi syempre diba may ano diyan sa baba, ano ba ito, PWD na – para

sa mga naka wheelchair ganyan, pero sa toilet sa tingin ko hindi kasi parang kulang – na nga
sa toilet tapos hindi pa maayos, kasi yung ibang toilet diba… yung ibang toilet masikip ganyan

tapos hindi– hindi gaano kagandahan yung ano eh.. Parang mabibigay niyang serbisyo sa mga

estudyante lalo na sa mga PWD.”

As she thought that the College of Arts and Sciences will provide better facilities for

PWD students, it also shows how PWD - Friendly the College. Still, she begins to wonder how

great it would be to have a complete facility for both students with disabilities together with non -

disabled students.

Structure and Tone

Glyza’s story puts a framework when her experiences of discrimination were analyzed.

The flow of her story shows how she dealt with the discrimination act and how it affects her well-

being.

The analysis of Glyza’s story created a smooth and sensational mood. She expressed

her doubts and sadness freely as she talked about people who embarrass her in public. She

also talked about how grateful she was to her family and friends who understand her situation

as well as her disability. Then, she was finally able to accept and make herself more aspiring as

a professional in the future.

Global Impression

Throughout the interview, Glyza was slightly nervous from the start but then developed

confidence in the middle of the interview, until the last portion of the questions. She answered

all of the questions based on her experiences. She is attentive and understands each of the

questions very well. Based on her expressions, Glyza was able to express her sadness and

even cried during the session, but still managed to get back on track by laughing and smiling

throughout the interview. The researchers observed that she has the ability to keep her stance

strong and precise, her tone of voice clear and concise.

“… yung ano ko lang talaga, yung hindi nagbago sa pangarap ko lang na… yung maging

successful ako.”

In some scenarios, the shifting of stories based on her experiences rises to self-

empowerment and suggestions for what's better for her university as well as for her college, the

College of Arts and Sciences infrastructures. She became determined for herself to finish her

study and to become who she really wants.

Pradeepa S. (2023) said that being tenacious or refusing to accept loss are not

characteristics of determination. No matter how difficult things become or how challenging it

becomes to get through them, having this mindset enables you to keep pushing forward.

Focal Themes In Experiences Of Discrimination Being A Student With Disability

Life being a student with disabilities on campus. According to Glyza’s narrative, she

never experienced discrimination that much inside the university unless she shared her

disability unto them. She stated that:

“….Uhm. ano, sa mga professor hindi ko sure pero sa mga kaklase ko, mapalad ako na

meron akong mga kaklase na ano, *stutters* nag aaalala sa akin kasi alam nila na… ayun na

may ano may sakit nga ako na pwede ako mag seizure, syempre nakakataba ng puso na

kunyare tatanungin ka nila kung okay ka lang ba, kung ano pakiramdam mo sa ganyan lalo na

kapag ano kami kapag sama sama kami tapos… kapag nasa labas kami ng campus o kaya

nasa room ganun, parang nag gi give way sila na, “si gly bawal mainitan” kaya mag - aadjust

*laughs* ganun… “

She’s very thankful to the people around her, her colleagues who're considerate and

understanding of her situation. By simply giving way and special treatment, she also said that

she felt very babied because of the people she chose to be around. Which is good.
 Experiences outside the university. According to Glyza’z narrative, she experienced

discrimination pertaining to her condition. She stated that:

“….. ginamit ko yung i.d (PWD I.D) para ma prioritize ako, tapos biglang nagtaka yung

lalaki na.. Na kasama ko sa pila sabi niya bakit daw ako in-una, kasi nga hindi nakikita yung

sakit ko kaya inisip niya na parang may kapit lang *light laugh* ako sa ganon, so – sabi niya

dapat pala ano… dapat pala nag ano.. Pilay-pilayan nalang ako para mauna nalang ako sa

ganon tapos biglang tumawa siya *sudden raise of voice* naisip ko na, ano kaya ang nakaka

tawa sa pagkakaroon ng sakit? Ayun po.”

This kind of behavior that is shown to Glyza affects her well – being and it turns out she

became more anxious about herself and doubts her strengths when it comes to public spaces.

She doesn’t want to socialize with other people if they know she has seizures.

Focal Themes In Participants' Well - Being Experiencing Discrimination Inside The

College Of Arts In Sciences

Effect of discrimination to psychological well - being. Since Glyza wants to be with

herself, the experience she had in public made her hesitant and suspicious of herself. She just

wants to be who she is and she thinks it’s not funny at all. As she stated:

*breaks voice* ganito ba talaga ang pakikitungo ng mga tao.. May ano na nga ako eh, parang

may mga – parang may mga hindi na nga akong kayang gawin tapos biglang tatawanan parin

ng… ganon… gusto ko lang naman tahimik at mapayapa ang sarili ko… nakakatuwa ba yun?

*wipes tears*
 During this interview, she began to cry and was not able to say all the things but she

clearly let out her feelings. Due to that, she cannot clearly describe what she thinks but

fortunately, she expressed her feelings well.

Effect of discrimination to emotional well-being. As a woman, she becomes

emotional in terms of this topic. She fears that she won’t be really functioning as an individual

regularly. She also fears that people might see her as a burden or “baliw”. She stated that:

“....syempre pano kapag… ano *breaks voice* *about to cry* wait lang… *pinunasan ang luha*

sabi ko pano kapag nag seizure ako dito… may tutulong kaya sa akin? Kasi dati yung nalaman

nila na may sakit ako, ano lang, tinawanan lang ako ng mga tao, sabi ko pano pa kaya pag

nakita nila akong nangingisay na ako diyan… ganon…”

Anxiety, sadness, depression, and a sense of guilt and emptiness result from being

excluded or rejected by others for reasons you frequently have no control over, and these

frequently translate into depression, loss of interest, eating disorders, and stress-related

illnesses (eSchoolToday Learning Resources, 2020).

Effect of discrimination to social well - being. Glyza thinks that everyone who’s close

to her was obligated to take care of her and be responsible for her since anytime her seizure

might occur.

“… naapektuhan ng discrimination yung sakit ko… uhm… sa social… lalo na sa

bahay… si mama mas ano siya parang mas humigpit siya sakin kasi nga syempre kailangan

bantayan niya ako kasi ano.. Nag se seizure ako minsan, lagi ah. Tuwing naliligo… edi syempre
ano… lahat sila mag aadjust kaya yung lock nung sa cr namin, yung pako lang siya… kasi

kapag ano… kapag doorknob talaga mahihirapan sila alisin ako don kapag nag seizure ako

tapos sa bahay, kailangan yung… kapag naiinitan ako, kailangan yung electric fan laging naka

tutuok sa akin, ganun.. tapos parang… parang.. Mas naging special yung pagtrato nila sa akin,

kompara sa dati na wala.”

Somehow, she also thought that it was special compared to before, she doesn’t

communicate that much and is close to her family. There’s still a little guilt from her that tells her

that everyone in her circle revolves around her.

FOCAL THEMES IN PARTICIPANTS’ COPING TECHNIQUES IN DISCRIMINATION

Emotional Awareness as a Coping Strategy. Emotionally, glyza accepts who she

really was by not really thinking anything out of it.

“Ano lang… uhm.. Di ko lang siya inintindi ko lang siya kasi iniisip ko na siguro hindi

familiar yung mga ibang tao na sa mga non - apparent disability.”

Looking at things differently and simply not thinking about it. You don't have to wait to

find relief: With emotion-focused coping, we can simply find strategies to accept what we face

right now and not let it bother us. We don't need to wait for our lives to change or work to

change the inevitable (Scott, 2022).

Distractions from the situation that triggers well - being. Glyza is thankful to her

close friends for being supportive and taking care of her. As she takes that as part of

distractions, and away from negative thinking.

 “....mapalad ako na meron akong mga kaklase na ano, *stutters* nag aaalala sa akin

kasi alam nila na… ayun na may ano may sakit nga ako na pwede ako mag seizure, syempre

nakakataba ng puso na kunyare tatanungin ka nila kung okay ka lang ba, kung ano

pakiramdam mo sa ganyan lalo na kapag ano kami kapag sama sama kami….

Putting away the stress and focusing on what we have is healthy. Even if we could, it

wouldn't be entirely healthy to do so; a certain amount of stress is healthy. However, it's not

entirely possible to cut all stress out of our lives; some aspects of our jobs, our relationships, or

our lifestyles are simply prone to creating challenges (Scott, 2022).

FOCAL THEMES IN PARTICIPANT’S SUGGESTIONS AND INSIGHTS TO PHYSICAL

INFRASTRUCTURES OF COLLEGE OF ARTS IN SCIENCES

Needs for development. Glyza thinks that in terms of physical infrastructure of CAS

Dep.t is not PWD in all aspects of Disability. She thinks that it needs to be more neutral for

students as a feeling of belongingness. Especially in her condition that she needs to cool down

as her seizure will occur anytime due to heat. She stated that:

*stutters* “kinakabahan lang ako kapag papasok ako lalo na kapag ang room na – na

nauunahan tayo sa room ano LH305A tapos lilipat tayo sa ibang room na baka sakal– na

kunwari walang maayos na ano, na ano electric fan o kaya s– lalo na ngayon na sobrang init

syempre nakakabahala yun kasi pwede ako mag seizure sa ganun…”

If so, Glyza suggests healthy and neutral needs for everyone. Physical infrastructure

includes elements inside and outside SUCs, including signage, accessible entrances, corridors,

restrooms with grab bars, switches, and controls, ramps, elevators, accessible desks, canteens,

water taps, and emergency exits. Under SB 1704, all SUCs in the Philippines are required to

develop PWD-friendly infrastructure facilities (Abasola, 2023).

Major Focal Theme

Encouraging the self to strive and focus. Glyza believed that everything could

possibly go within its purpose when she strives for the goals she wanted to achieve for herself.

She stated that education and diplomas are the way to prove that having a disability is not a

weakness:

“Uhm… yung ano ko lang talaga, yung hindi nagbago sa pangarap ko lang na… yung

maging successful ako kasi iniisip ko na, yung mga tao kapag ano sila kapag PWD sila

syempre may mga ibang bagay sila na hindi kayang gawin, kaya ano pang – yung mga normal

nga na tao nahihirapan silang kumuha ng mga trabaho sa ano eh… sa labas… nahihirapan sila

kumuha sila kumuha ng trabaho, pano pa kaya yung mga taong na may – hindi kayang gawin,

so ayun parang – lagi ko lang naiisip na mas maigi na may matapos ako at least uhm kahit may

mga bagay ako na di kayang gawin, may– mailalaban naman ako kasi may diploma at may

pinag aralan… *smiles* *laughs*

Self-talking as determination is vital when it comes to well - being. The truth is that our

self-talk can actually have a much bigger impact on the way we see ourselves, and the world

around us, than we realize. Self-talk is the internal narrative you hold about yourself. It's your

inner voice, and you may or may not have spent much time thinking about it or giving it any

attention (BSc, 2023).

Narrative Analysis of Jan’s Experiences with Discrimination

Summary of Narrative

Jan is a 2nd year CAS student at Cavite State University. She’s 19 years old and has a

speech-language disability. Which she finds difficult when it comes to socializing.

She experienced bullying on an online platform from her classmates due to her physical

appearance which she calls it “just a mark” as well, she finds it as a discriminatory act that

affects her well-being. Although it was not apparent, her “mark” made her feel anxious

especially with other people. However, she emphasized how her family’s treatment made a

great difference oh how she viewed her so-called “mark”.

“Ang sakin naman po, wala siya eh, para ano na.. Na tinanggap ko nalang po na..

Marami po talagang ano hindi po lahat na, marami po talagang tao na ijujudge ka and hindi

talaga lahat ng tao ay ma pi please mo na, kakausapin mo pa para i explain yung ano po, yung

ano yung sakit mo kung bakit ano, bakit meron kang marka na ganyan e ayos ka naman

magsalita ganyan… *sad tone* hindi mo naman sila makakausap na ‘ganito ako eh bata

palang ako may ganyan’ kaya mas ano nalang po, maging aware nalang ako sa sarili ko na

basta yung mga naka paligid po sakin yung familiy ko na hindi nila tinuring yung disability na

meron ako.”

Indeed, there is no doubt that her family plays a great role in how she coped and be

aware of her disability. On the other hand, it was also apparent that humans are social beings

(Platt, 2019), thus, there is a necessity to feel a certain connection with other people aside from

the family, and on this part, the participant had a hard time.

“Opo. lately, ganun po ako kasi, parang.. Ano na… hindi na po.. Hindi na… ganon mag

mask ganyan yung sa school naghuhubad ako ng mask hindi ako ganun ka confident na

hubarin siya kasi. Ano siya eh. Parang ano. Yung ano. Yung tingin lang (nila). Ganon. Parang

na aano (anxious) ka eh ibabalik ko nalang yung mask ko, kaya, ayun, lately ganun ako. Kada

uwi ko galing school nag b breakdown ako… ganyan… *sad tone*”

 Despite the fact that she accepted her disability, her self-confidence was still affected by

the people around her. Though, she broke down whenever she got home, her strong nature as

a person flaunted, as she dealt with people who laughed and judge her rationally and with

calmness.

“Late ko na din po kasi nalaman yun na… *stutters* binubully pala nila ako, everytime

na may meet (google meet) nag s-screenshot sila ng pictures ko tapos meron lang na… ah…

kaibigan ko na… na-nasendan non… sinend niya sa’kin, tas kinausap ko po yung mga…

nambully sakin e puro lalaki po yun. Kinausap ko po sila, kung bakit… kailangan nila akong

pagusapan e pwede naman nila akong kausapin kung may mali sa akin… *monotone voice*”

Jan showed optimism in handling and accepting challenges in and out of the university.

She viewed education as a way not just to end discrimination but also a foundation to build

herself as a person.

“Uhm.. naniniwala din po kasi ako na mas mahalaga po yung may matututunan ka

kasi… ah.. May matututunan ka para may marating ka.. In.. in the future… keysa sa mga

sasabihin ng mga tao na wala namang.. Wala namang… *thinking* magiging magandang ano,

epekto yun sayo kaya bakit mo sila iintindihin kung mas kailangan, kung mas kailangan, kung

mas kailangan ka pang iintindihin which is yung pag aaral mo…”

Despite being bullied, Jan does not view the CAS department as a non-friendly PWD

department. It is just that people’s perspective toward others is very subjective. However, how

these perspectives can affect someone will depend on the person himself. As for Jan, she does

not let such judgments overpower her willingness to grow as an individual.

Structure and Tone

Jan’s narrative showed how she tried to be optimistic in handling discrimination and

judgment. She apparently perceived it as a part of having a so-called “mark”. At some point, she

became a laughingstock of her online classmates, however, her family’s support and

acceptance gave her strength and a positive view of herself. As stated by Robins (2019) in his
study, the family environment plays a major role in shaping the self-esteem of the child

regardless of gender and age.

Jan’s story portrays a