Siena College of Taytay in Rizal is taking steps to build a more welcoming campus for students with disabilities. To help make that happen, the school teamed up with PLDT, Smart, and ATRIEV to run a practical disability sensitivity workshop for its teachers and support staff.

Instead of a typical lecture, the session was led by ATRIEV facilitators who live with disabilities themselves. They walked the staff through the everyday realities of different disabilities, tackled hidden biases, and shared simple ways to adjust classroom settings. Through role-playing exercises, teachers got a firsthand feel for what their students navigate daily, learning practical approaches to support neurodivergent learners when stress hits.

For the educators and staff who attended, the experience brought a clear shift in perspective:

• College President Sr. Rosalea Busilac, O.P. pointed out that the training helps teachers build a deeper connection with their students while helping the school pinpoint physical campus upgrades.

• Ann Dolores, secretary to the Service Education Dean, noted that the main realization was that staff need to adapt to the students' needs instead of forcing students to do all the adjusting.

• Jerome Mauricio, a lecturer and formation officer, said hearing real-life stories from the facilitators encouraged faculty to rethink how they teach and look into redesigning coursework to be more inclusive.

The workshop was organized through PLDT and Smart’s #KonektedforInclusion initiative. Siena College of Taytay has been a long-term partner of the telecommunications group, continuing its participation in the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP).