Persons with Disabilities: A Strong but Unseen Force of Humanity

Employment discrimination is what triggered Ryan Gersava of the Philippines to establish Virtualahan, a company that champions inclusivity. Due to a diagnosis, no companies in the Philippines would employ him even after he obtained his license as a medical technologist.

Virtualahan is a social enterprise that provides skills training for online employment to marginalized communities like Persons with Disabilities, solo parents, out-of-school youth, recovering addicts, Indigenous People, and People Deprived of Liberty. Over 1,000 scholars have completed the program where sign language interpreters are provided for deaf students. About 70% of the graduates are now employed, mostly on work-at-home set-up, with income that is around 60% higher than the minimum wage.