𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑. 

In celebration of the 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞, SM Cares of the SM Group, continues its mission to provide inclusive spaces as a mall for all through its yearly sensitivity training for its frontline employees. The training equips them with skills to better serve customers with different needs or persons with disabilities (PWDs). 

Engr. Bien Mateo, Senior Vice President for Mall Operations and Program Director of SM Cares Disability Affairs noted the company’s dedication to creating positive impacts within its communities.

“Genuine inclusion starts with us,” he said. “One of the integral steps in line with this effort is by conducting sensitivity training for our employees.”   

𝑨 𝑷𝑾𝑫-𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍
Apart from SM Supermalls’ facilities, the shopping malls of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. promotes inclusive spaces through features such as ramps, handlebars in comfort rooms, and Braille-labeled elevator buttons. The efforts to promote inclusivity within the malls also rely on equipping its workers with the knowledge and best practices for assisting PWDs.

Jay Jess Aquino, a security personnel in SM Mall of Asia for 15 years shared how helpful the annual sensitivity training is on learning how to respectfully assist customers who have different needs.

With daily interactions from different PWD communities, he shared how a simple act of acknowledging guests on the autism spectrum or persons with Down syndrome every time they playfully salute them goes a long way. 

“Pagpasok po nila sa mall, sumalaudo po sila sa amin mga guards, he said. “Natutuwa rin po kami kasi kahit sa simpleng pag-acknowledge po namin, eh napapangiti na po namin sila.”

(They salute us guards as they enter the mall. We are also pleased because even with our simple acknowledgment, we can already make them smile.)

As SM frontliners, they must be quick to recognize guests with mobility issues to provide alternative solutions such as wheelchairs and even drive them via golf karts when available. The mall’s administration office is also open to serve as a safe and quiet space for guests who may be sensitive to several sensory inputs.  

His colleague and fellow security staff Rebecca Flores in Mall of Asia expressed how the sensitivity training has made her more confident to assist patrons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over her nine-year experience in SM. 

She emphasized the importance of maintaining open communication and building rapport with customers on the spectrum before they enter. This approach helps dismiss any notion that security guards are intimidating.

“𝑂𝑝𝑜. 𝑆𝑎 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑝𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑔𝑎 ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑎-ℎ𝑖 (𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖/ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜) 𝑛𝑎 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑎,” 𝑀𝑠 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑. “𝑁𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑎. 𝐵𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖 𝑘𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑑𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑎 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑. 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑘𝑎ℎ𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑎, 𝑑𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑎 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑. 𝐾𝑎𝑠𝑖 𝑚𝑎𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛.”

(We see to it that we give them a lively greeting as they enter the mall because they remember you. Even in the unfortunate event of being lost in the mall, they won’t hesitate to approach you to find their way since they will recall the friendly face who said hi to them.)

Ms. Flores even recalled to her initial experience when a child on the autism spectrum playfully kicked her. She remembered how shocked she was during the exchange. And although the child’s parent immediately explained the situation, Ms. Flores recalled in jest how the child tried to get her again on the way out. 

“𝐷𝑖 𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡. 𝑀𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑠𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑎𝑠𝑖 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑘𝑎𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑘𝑎𝑚𝑖,” she said. 

(I didn’t get mad. I’m thankful because the training imparted learnings on this.)

SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls and a division of SM Foundation, Inc. ensures a barrier-free and disability-inclusive environment for PWDs in all of its malls nationwide.