Spearheaded by the local disability movement, Disability Organisations Joint Front, this nationwide campaign advocates for the inclusion of disabled people in mainstream development work. In Sri Lanka it is estimated that over 10% of the population is disabled and more than 25% of the population is directly or indirectly affected by disability (by having a family or community member). This is a very large portion of the society. They are largely ignored, stigmatised and excluded from society: families hide disabled members from public view.  As a consequence they are often invisible in the community. Disabled people are entitled to rights and one of the main reasons is inaccessibility to basic facilities.

Accessibility:

Access to the built environment—physical accessibility—is an important requirement for ensuring full and effective participation in society. Providing an accessible built environment is about supporting the independence, safety, and dignity of every person. Accessibility is beneficial not only for disabled people and elderly people but for the country as a whole because if disabled people are able to access public places and participate in society, it  means that they can contribute, both socially, culturally and economically. It means paying attention to the fact that everyone’s abilities differ.  Accessibility is not a focus on disability per se but a focus on diversity. For more information on this, go to the Access for All website www.accessforall.lk

Achievements:

* There has been continous press coverage on the campaign. Newspapers, tv and radio channels have featured many of the success stories. Access for All has undertaken a successful media campaign with an estimated coverage of more than seven million readers.
* Ministry of Social Services has published a guideline on accessibility “Promotion of Accessibility to Built Environment” in 1998 and a mini guideline book has been published which is more user friendly and is available on request.
* As a part of our advocacy campaign, almost 100 organisations, be it I/NGOs or government agencies or the private sector, have been given training, consultancy or advocacy on accessibility.
* 9 buildings including 4 government hospitals and 5 community based social service organisations were made accessible in 2006. These are models of good practice for accessibility modifications. An official opening ceremony was held last November, with the key note speaker being the US Ambassador.
* Accessibility guidelines have been distributed with focus on common problems encountered, guidelines for water and sanitation, guidelines for schools and guidelines for health facilities and rural bathrooms.

District Focal Point Programme:

This programme is an offshoot of the Access for All campaign and it seeks to ensure that disabled people are not unintentionally excluded from post-tsunami development work at the districts of Kalutara, Galle and Matara. This is an Oxfam GB funded programme. The Access for All campaign has been fully integrated into the district focal point partners, who have established advocacy offices and are developing information resource centres  in Galle, Kalutara and Matara. DOJF are also collaborating with and coordinating with Handicap International partners undertaking similar advocacy initiatives in the eastern districts.

Empowerment of disabled people:

It has raised the self-esteem and visibility of disabled people. Having disabled people as advocates for accessibility, for their rights and now promoting disability awareness makes such a difference in challenging attitudes. The enthusiasm and commitment from the disabled people working for this programme has been remarkable, as have the achievements, particularly given that for some of them this is their first job. Empowered disabled people have been agents of social and development change. The Ministries, mayors, government agents, local and international organisations such as Sarvodaya, World Vision, CARE, UNICEF and UNDP, lawyers and the private sector have been approached and this has resulted in many a policy and attitudinal change. As many as 30 buildings have been made accessible in the tsunami affected districts of Kalutara, Matara and Galle. 

Partners:

- Colombo – Disability Organisations Joint Front (DOJF) -
They are a member of Access for All and is an umbrella group of 18 disabled people’s organisation.

www.dojf.org
TP (+94) 11 2721383

- Kalutara – Kalutara District Organisation for the Disabled - This organisation is a registered community based organisation. They are a member of DOJF who is undertaking a capacity development programme with all members.
TP (+94) 34 4924666

- Galle – Abaditha Sewa Padanama & Southern Centre for the Disabled -  
This is a new disabled people’s organisation; it came about through the volition of, and the needs identified by disabled people using a Motivation-supported service to provide mobility equipment in Galle.
TP (+94) 91 5621007

- Matara – Saviya Development Foundation -  
Saviya Development Foundation is a Government approved NGO which gives special emphasis on rehabilitation of disabled youths and discriminated women.
TP (+94) 91 2245781

Did you know?

• That 2007 has been declared the Year of Accessibility by the cabinet and the Ministry of Social Services
• That in Sri Lanka as much as 10% of the population is disabled! This means 2 million people have a disability
• That accessibility is now a legal requirement after regulations have been gazetted on November 14th 2005 which specified accessibility criteria. This means that physical accessibility is now a mandatory legal requirement in the construction of “public buildings, public spaces and common services”