A House lawmaker representing the elderly sector is pushing for an amendment to the 40-year-old law on accessibility for persons with disabilities, aiming to ensure inclusivity and relevance to current societal needs.

Senior Citizen Partylist Representative Rodolfo Ordanes is planning to file a bill amending Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 (BP 344), also known as the Accessibility Law, seeking to expand its coverage to senior citizens, children, and marginalized groups such as the LGBTQIA community.

BP 344 was signed into law in 1983, and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were issued in 2003, with only minor updates as recently as 2023.

“This law is long overdue for an update,” Ordanes said.

“The IRR scope and application provisions can be improved to consider a wider and inclusive definition of accessibility,” Ordanes added.

Ordanes explained that the proposed changes aim to explicitly include senior citizens, children, and other marginalized groups while addressing the lack of clearly defined terms in the original legislation.

“I believe there is room to add the disabilities of older seniors and people with special needs. Perhaps even the LGBTQIA concerns on access to comfort rooms or lavatories can be incorporated into the implementing rules and regulations,” he stressed.

The lawmaker also called for incorporating the National Commission of Senior Citizens and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development as implementing agencies, as they were established after the law’s enactment.

“Other provisions that need updating can also be revised. New provisions can also be added,” Ordanes added.

However, Ordanes also mulled the possibility of overhauling the law entirely to align with modern legislative drafting standards.

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