PARLIAMENT

Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma said that steps will be taken to establish a separate independent commission for the disabled community in Sri Lanka. He also mentioned that this independent commission will be able to be established according to the amendments to be brought to the Act No. 28 of 1996 on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities with the intervention of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. Also, the chair pointed out that the amendments are made in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

According to the 2012 census of the country, 8.7 percent of the total population (nearly 1.7 million people) have been identified as persons with disabilities, of which 74 percent are not involved in any economic process and 34 percent of those children have not received any primary education. However, the chairman explained that when looking at these data according to each district and region, there are differences. According to the available data, the highest number of disabled people in Sri Lanka is recorded in the Nuwara Eliya district, the chairman said. Also, he emphasized the issues of lack of accurate data system containing information regarding persons with disabilities all over the island.

Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma said this when the special third program to discuss information about the challenges, issues, opportunities faced by persons with disabilities and the measures and proposals that can be taken to properly address them was held in Nuwara Eliya recently (May 27) under the auspices of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. The programme was held under the patronage of the chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma and the Member of Parliament Hon. C.B Rathnayake, Hon. Nimal Piyathissa, Hon K.P.P Kumarasiri and a group of officials including the District Secretariate of Nuwara Eliya Mr. Nandana Galabada were present on this occasion. Also, Consultant of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Mrs. Shyama Salgadu and Chair of Disability Organizations Joint Front Mrs.  Rasanjali Pathirage participated.

People with disabilities living in Nuwara Eliya district, representatives of organizations representing the disabled community in Nuwara Eliya district, officials of several institutions that provide education for children with disabilities in Nuwara Eliya district, liaison officers of public representatives in the area also attended the event.

The necessary information and proposals for establishing a coordination mechanism regarding streamlining the process of providing education to children with disabilities, improving access facilities for persons with disabilities in Nuwara Eliya district, as well as improving the inclusion of the disabled community into the country's governance structure and society were discussed at length.

The disabled community and organizations who participated in the discussion presented their views, suggestions and issues. The issues such as providing the necessary facilities for disabled people working as small entrepreneurs, difficulties in accessing schools and care centers for disabled children due to the topography of Nuwara Eliya district, and preventing disabled children from being abused were discussed.

In order to further streamline the functioning of government-aided schools for children with disabilities in Sri Lanka, it was also suggested that the Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Supplementary Provisions) Act (No. 8 of 1961) should be amended.

Meanwhile, attention was also paid to the issues regarding the lack of public transportation facilities for the disabled community. Accordingly, the chairman stated that arrangements have been made to import buses to be added to the Sri Lankan transport system soon and necessary measures will be taken to facilitate the transportation of the disabled community.