Access matters

A special procession took place on the streets of Nuwara Eliya recently when 200 children and people with disabilities and their supporters marched the roads of Nuwara Eliya town. The procession under the theme ‘Access Matters: Access and empowerment of people of all abilities’, visited all Government offices, private companies and local shops with a ‘call to action’ requesting them to ensure their space was accessible for people with disabilities within the next 3-6 months.

The participants shared a pictorial poster on the rights of the disabled, the gazette notification from the Supreme Court requesting all public buildings to adhere to inclusive standards and a handbook on how to make their building accessible.

The event was facilitated by World Vision Lidula Programme area located in Central Sri Lanka.

A few years ago, in Lindula, children and people with disabilities were unknown. Cultural beliefs hid them away, restricting them from being identified. It also limited the Social Services Department from having crucial information about them. Thus there was no deliberate effort to provide for their special needs.

World Vision Lindula commenced identifying children and people with disablilities within their Programme area in 2013 with the help of a local organisation.

As people and children with disabilities and the special needs began to be identified, the District Social Services officer and the Social Services officer initiated a forum, bringing in 19 organizations that worked with persons with disabilities in the Nuwara Eliya District. 

The ‘Access Matters’ march was a result of these string of efforts. The march concluded in the Nuwara Eliya Townhall in the presence of Government Officials of all departments, the Police, the local NGOs and Disabled Persons Organisations in the area. 

Moving forward in the next 3-6 months the Forum plans to:

• Conduct a workshop on how to eliminate access barriers, led by the technical expert from various ministries 
• Conduct a post campaign evaluation on the access changes made 3 months after the awareness march
• Invite more Disabled People’s Organisations in to the forum with an MoU for each organization
• Train staff from each main government services department on sign language
• Providing main information in Braille
• Ensure people with disabilities obtain the Disability Allowance
• Build education units in schools to ensure children with disabilities access quality education facilities