Great Hearts
Ishara JAYAWARDANE
Unemployment among disabled people is as
high as 80% in some countries. Mortality for disabled children is as
high as 80% in countries where under-five mortality as a whole has
decreased below 20%. Ninety per cent of disabled children in
developing countries do not attend school. (Source: UN Fact sheet on
disabled people)
DOJF mainly involved in:
1. Mobilizing the Disability organizations
into an effective movement.
2. Working in collaboration with other
organizations to activate the implementation of provisions laid
down in Act No. 28 of 1996 for the Protection of the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and to lobby for making appropriate
amendments therein.
3. Motivating the state and private media to
disseminate accurate national and international information
frequently to the community in regard to Persons with
Disabilities.
4. Lobbying for repeal or amend all rules and
regulations which are discriminatory or restrictive to Persons
with Disabilities and new legislation where necessary.
5. Working for the inclusion of Persons with
Disabilities in the national decision making process.
6. Advocating for accessibility facilities to
be made available to all sectors of disability in all respects
including access to the built environment, information,
education, employment, income generation and sports and
recreation.
7. Lobbying for the sign language to be
accepted as a recognized language and to take appropriate action
for its propagation.
8. Take appropriate measures in collaboration
with government and nongovernmental organisations to identify
the requirements of Persons with Special Needs (intellectual
disability) and to launch programmes for their development.
9. Take appropriate measures to ensure
adequate representation of women with disabilities in all
national forums.
|
 |
Groups of children doing dance acts. Pictures by Sarath Peiris |
 |
|
Wheel chairs being made |
Their hearts are indeed great, these children of disabilities. They
face so much adversity in life that one is filled with a sense of
wonderment. When Daily News visited the Exceptional Childrens
Educational Development Foundation (ECEDF) they ran to us and took us by
our hands and made us feel welcome. They had such truly genuine smiles
on their faces.
When we visited the Sri Lanka Foundation for the Rehabilitation of
the Disabled (SLFRD) it was another story where there men working. One
man in particular attracted our attention. He had no hands, just
deformed limbs. Yet he was working industriously. It truly was humbling
how they adapt to their situation in life. There we spoke to Honourary
Secretary of the SLFRD,Cyril Siriwardana.
Training programmes
"Employment for the disabled is a problem because of low education
level. People with physical disabilities especially persons using
wheelchairs find it difficult to go to school due to inaccessible school
infrastructure such as class rooms, toilets, library etc. Inaccessible
public transport is another big barrier. There are other problems such
as negative attitudes of the public. Except I suppose the visually
impaired get more opportunities for higher education where there are lot
of blind graduates. Visually impaired have special school," said
Siriwardana.
They had a programme during the last few years called Economic Self
Sufficiency for persons with Disabilities. "First year we had awareness
programmes for the employers to tell them that the disabled also could
work, their productivity is in par with non-disabled workers and that
they also need an income. We advised employers on making their work
place accessible and their company policy inclusive.
Then we had community awareness programmes, for the disabled and
their parents to say that 'you can work and there are vacancies, do not
depend on others, be independent, your parents will not live forever,
someday they will die and you need to be independent.'So we made both
sides aware of this and then we had job fairs where we get the disabled
and the employers together and they recruit. We conducted training
programmes for the disabled. It is called Job Seeking and Keeping
Skills. Where we teach them how to look for a job, what is required for
a job and once you start a job what is expected of you, we get company
HR managers to tell them what is expected. So these are the methods we
use to find them employment" said Siriwardana.
Awareness programmes
In the Monaragala district SLFRD have conducted a lot of awareness
programmes
for primary school teachers.
"We talk to principals about the necessity and what they can do to
include disabled students in the normal classrooms. I am also a member
of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, there is a member
from the Ministry of Education, so we try to advocate for making
inclusive education a reality. When you take the hearing impaired, they
have a very big problem- communication problem. The problem with the
physically disabled is access, as in how to get there. But for hearing
impaired or the deaf, communication is a big problem as there are very
few teachers who can teach in sign language or lip reading. In 1990 a
'National Federation of Sports for the Disabled' was started. So through
that a lot of things were happening. I was also the President of that
federation for two years. You take sports for disabled up to the
international level and send people for international competitions. And
of course there are so many other organizations. The AIDEX,a sports
programme for Jaipur limb users is held annually since 1991 by Colombo
Friend-in-Need Society. Last year we had it, about 400- 500 people
participated with parents and friends. They had a nice time, they got
presents and medals and certificates."
Skills development
 |
 |
Project Chairman,Exceptional Childrens
Educational Development Foundation,
Nihal Nanayakkara |
Secretary, Sri Lanka Foundation for the
Rehabilitation of the Disabled,
Cyril Siriwardana |
When you think of skills at SLFRD (Rehab Lanka) they produce mobility
devices such as wheelchairs, tricycles etc. which are all made by
disabled people. " All the workers here are with some disability. For a
few years we conducted a training course for persons with disabilities
on metal work. We take ten persons at a time and train them.
The other thing about skills development, through the National
Council we are promoting inclusive vocational training as there are a
lot of vocational training centres throughout Sri Lanka. The SLFRD was
started in 1988 by a group of disabled persons initiated by D M
Premadasa. We started this workshop in 1991 which is to provide
employment for people with disabilities.
They work and they are paid and they earn a living. There are so many
organizations of the disabled functioning independently in Sri Lanka. We
thought if we get together for the common causes that we could be a
bigger voice. With that purpose Disability Organizations Joint
Front(DOJF) was formed in 2001 with 12 member organizations. Right now
we have 23 member organizations. DOJF is a very strong organization
now."
Events
Daily News also spoke to the Project Chairman of the ECEDF, Nihal
Nanayakkara who is the live wire behind the Foundation to see what is
going on at that end.
"Actually we are trying to develop the skills of differently able
children. They love music and dancing, so we are trying to enhance their
skills in these fields. In addition to that we organize workshops for
parents as to how to take care of their children. We begin the year with
an alms giving and we always have it in the Poya Day of January.
Annually we organize a picnic and always the children prefer to go to
Hikkaduwa and they very much enjoy the sea bath. Our final project of
the year is 'Musical Evening' and this event takes place in December to
commemorate the Disability Day. These are our annual events," said
Nanayakkara
In the year 2011 they organized a Concert and 24 of the children
performed in this Concert and it was a great success. "
|
A disabled man at work |
This year too we will be having a similar Concert and it will be held
on the March 2 at the Bishop's College Auditorium at 3.30 pm. "These
children have an amazing love and zest for their classes. We cannot keep
them at home on Sundays they cannot wait to come to their classes here.
They get up at 5 am to come here. They have an incredible enthusiasm
to come here. Because of the joy they receive from coming here they
benefit mentally. As parents we also enjoy. We love seeing them so
happy. Every month there is a birthday party," said Chandralatha.
Secretary Padmini Dodawatta also added by saying that there is a
stigma attached to intellectually disabled people. But in this
organization all are alike and there is no discrimination. On Sundays
the parents also get an opportunity to discuss their problems and also
to relax while the children are engaged in dancing.
Daily News also spoke to DOJF to see what they have to say about the
whole issue.
One in five of the world's poorest people are disabled. At least 10%
of the world's population, or 650 million are disabled and 80% of these
people live in developing countries.
Poor people themselves regard disabled people as among the most
excluded 'poorest of the poor.'Disability is both a cause and
consequence of poverty - disabled people are more likely to live in
poverty, and people who are poor are more likely to be disabled.
Disabled women are multiply disadvantaged, experiencing exclusion on
account of both their gender and their disability, and are particularly
vulnerable to abuse.
In Sri Lanka,according to the 2001 census, 274,711 (Male: 158,446,
Female: 116,265)are persons with disabilities. Of these 69,096 are
visually impaired, 73,343 have hearing impairments, 151,982 have
physical impairments and 69,026 are with intellectual disabilities
"DOJF is an umbrella body of organizations 'of and for' persons with
disabilities (PwDs) in Sri Lanka. DOJF consists of 23 member
organizations spread across different parts of the country.
These Organizations represent people with physical, intellectual,
visual and hearing impairments. DOJF aims enable disability
organizations to wok jointly as a pressure group to protect the rights
of PwDs, ensuring them a barrier free, independent life with equity,"
said Project Manager,DOJF,Priyantha Jayakody. |
