A special workshop organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at Matara District Secretariat to discuss the challenges, issues faced by persons with disabilities and the measures and proposals that can be taken to properly address them.
The workshop was chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon. Ajith Rajapaksa and the Chairman of the Caucus, Member of Parliament Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma, and the members of Parliament, Hon. Buddhika Pathirana, Hon. Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Matara District Secretary Mr. Ganesh Amarasinghe and Consultant of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Mrs. Shyama Salgadu were also present.
Representatives of the Disability Organizations Joint Front (DOJF), representatives of the disability community organizations in Matara district, teachers and principals who teach children with disabilities in Matara district also attended the event. During the workshop, the necessary information and suggestions were gathered to establish a coordination mechanism to enhance inclusion of persons with disabilities into the country’s governance structure and society.
Addressing the gathering, the chairman of the caucus, Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma, said that it is expected to obtain views and suggestions at the district level. Accordingly, the chairman said that next workshop will also be held in Kilinochchi and Nuwara Eliya districts. The chairman also pointed out that since there has been a great injustice for the disabled community in Sri Lanka, this caucus is expected to play a big role by intervening in new policies and legislations to protect their rights.
