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| Tuesday, 3 February 2004 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi A workshop aimed at improving the quality of life of the blind and visually handicapped in Sri Lanka with a view to ensuring their integration in the society was held at the Taj Samudra Hotel yesterday. The workshop was organised under the patronage of Advisor to the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Training Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria, Cabinet Secretary N.V.K.K. Weragoda, Tourism Ministry Secretary Dr. P. Ramanujan and Public Health Specialist Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne. "The objective of the workshop is to help blind and visually handicapped people to become part of normal society," Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria told the Daily News. According to reports, there are nearly 500,000 visually handicapped persons while another 100,000 born are blind people in Sri Lanka. "We are trying to get a plan of action and assist the Government to implement it and the workshop will focus on that," he added. The main objective of the program is to develop a co-ordinated program and plan of action for the blind and visually handicapped in relation to the sectors such as education, health, social services and rehabilitation and development. Dr. Weerasooria said five main areas have been identified for discussion and follow up. They are health/prevention/cure of blindness, education of the blind/visually handicapped, social services for them, development and fund raising projects for the blind and handicapped. The workshop also seeks to identify strategies for fund raising for the blind and visually handicapped. Addressing the opening session of the workshop, Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya stressed that it was the moral responsibility of the society to give possible assistance to this particular section of the society which deserved the utmost support of the community. He noted that the Government had paid attention to this issue. "It is my view that the society at large and specially the mercantile sector should extend assistance to the visually handicapped people." |
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