South Asia Sub-Regional Report
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- Women With Disabilities
- State Structure
- Service Provided to the Disabled Person In Sri Lanka
- Vocational or Technical Education
- Other Training
- Transport Facilities
- Job Opportunity
- Accessible Build Environment
Collaboration of SHOsIn Pakistan ASHA is working on collaboration among SHOs, initially on Provincial level in Sindh province with vision of stronger National Organization, on district level in Sindh for participation of PWDs from grass root level to mainstream development and on village level organizing self help Groups in Sanghar District. In this regard organization gained success in shape of foundation of “Sindh Disability Forum”. Milestone Society is promoting Independent Living Moment in Pakistan, third country in Asia and 1st in South Asia with the help of Human Care Association of Japan. One IL Center established in Lahore and second is ready to be established in Islamabad. Same center will be established at Karachi. PDF is conducting various training programs for visual impairs in through out country including computer technology training. PAD has designed a soft ware of deaf community of Pakistan with printing sign language books for them. They are also promoting sign language in Pakistan. DWA and SAHARA are continuously demonstrating for awareness and achieving rights through hunger strikes, wearing death (Islamic) suits and roadblocks. DEWA is establishing first University of PWDs in Karachi. Women With DisabilitiesThis is the weaker area of Pakistan, because of wrong interpretation of religion and cultural values. This country produced individual Woman leaders but as organization there is a strong need to organize WWDs on a National forum of WWDs. The government abolished the reservations despite suggestions from the National Commission on the Status of Women (NSCW), a recommendatory body to the federal government, to reserve 33 percent of jobs in the public sector for women. The lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly, was informed last week that the government had dispensed with the five percent quota, introduced in 199overnment justified the move by claiming the reservations amounted to gender discrimination and Hence violated the constitution. The house was informed that recruitment for government departments would be made purely on merit. Statistics indicate that women comprise only 5.4 percent of federal government employees, mostly in the social sectors, while their numbers are almost negligible in higher levels of employment. A NCSW report reveals that the main reason for the lower status of women is the lack of a conducive, safe work environment. About 50 percent of women in the public sector face harassment. Most workingwomen have to hand over their earnings to their parents or husbands. Publicly though, there is still hardly any visible change. Around 50 percent of married women prefer home-based work due to fear of harassment at the workplace and other social pressures, 90 percent of women have no knowledge of labor laws or legal recourses to curb harassment and discrimination. A survey by the Institute of Development Economics shows 77 percent of the total female labor force falls within the purview of the informal sector, while 53 percent are classified as home based workers. In the rural sector, where 79 percent of the female population above the age of ten is actively involved in farming, only 37 percent are gainfully employed in their own family farms while the rest fall within the category of unpaid workers. Recently a National forum of Women organizations has been formed named AASHA. There is a need to unite WWDs and mobilized to participate in main stream women organizations in development. Convention on Disability rights Pakistan is moving slowly in lobbing for convention. But recent activities of PWDs are getting attention of Government through this process lobbing will be made very soon. Conclusion: It is anticipated that the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action will contribute to attaining the millennium development goals and targets as issues relating to persons with Disabilities are vital concerns to be addressed in realizing the relevant millennium development goals and targets if PWDs enthusiastically participate and get their positions in implementation commission of National Policy for Persons with Disabilities. Although challenges are ahead but DPI-Pakistan has got recognition in the form of a cross disability movements at the Governmental level and in the present decade PWDs will prove themselves as agents of change. SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka is a Democratic Socialist Republic by it’s system of Government. It covers an area of 25,000 Square Miles (65,000 Sq.Km.) and has a population totaling approximately 19.00 Million. About 76% of the population lives in rural areas (see picture 01 for Map of Sri Lanka) This Island is divided into nine provinces and 24 Administrative districts. Picture 03 shows our National Flag and picture 04 shows our National Emblem. The head of the State is the President with Executive powers of the Republic elected every six years. The legislative body is the Parliament, which is also elected every six years. The members of Parliament are elected from districts as well as from the national list. The leader of the party which gains the majority of seats in the Parliament is appointed Prime Minister by the President, who also appoints a Cabinet of Ministers from members of Parliament to be in control and to direct the Government. There are provincial councils elected by each province. The Provincial Council has limited legislative and executive powers. Each Provincial Council has a Governor appointed by the President. Besides the Provincial Councils there are other local Government bodies like the Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradesheeya Sabas which have limited powers in the Administrative areas. These are also elected bodies and these elections are held periodically. While Sinhala,Tamil Languages are Official Languages. English Language is a link language. As per the latest census taken shows population of the country 19.0 Million.
Population can divide into ethnic religion categories as follows:
In Sri Lanka out of the estimated 500,000 disabled people only 10,000 (two per cent) have access to education and appropriate basic services. Service Provided to the Disabled Person In Sri LankaThere are special institutions of orthopedic clinics for the disabled. They provided all treatment as operational , pharmaceutical, dermatological (exercisers) artificial legs, hands and other items are supplied for the disabled according to their necessity (on medical grounds) District hospitals too conduct orthopedic clinics, workshops services also provided. Those services are provided free of charge to all including disabled persons.
Still there are no accepted level facilities provided in regard to general education especially for the handicapped children. They will have to study like normal students. There are no nursery, primary or secondary schools especially for orthopeadically disabled. But the schools for the Hearing Impaired and Visually handicapped have been started in Year 1912. Therefore severely handicapped (Orthopedic) children find no way of study. Also as a result of this group of disabled suffer by way of conveyance to normal schools and educational institutions. No lodging facilities are found close to these schools for them to stay. No special apparatus, accessible desks, educational aids are provided for this orthopaedically disabled. Therefore number of educated physically (Orthopaedically) disabled persons is very low, and this amounts to discrimination. When talked about social attitudes towards this group, the situation is very pathetic. This situation is aggravate due to the religions belief that a person may be disabled as a result of some sin that he/she had committed during his/her previous birth. Because Orthopaedically disabled person have the sight, they are able to witness the way a non-disabled person looks on them, and because the Orthopaedically disabled people can hear they are aware of what the non-disabled people say about them. These looks and works automatically make Orthopaedically disabled persons to feel disgusted with the society and the world.When talking about Building and Architectural barriers Orthopaedically disabled have been deprived of their access to them. As a result of above facts guardians of the Orthopaedically handicapped persons are too reluctant to take them about in society. But there are very small accessibility facilities have been adopted at the Ministry of Social Welfare. As a result of PWD who felt Orthopedic disability in their childhood are confined to their homes. All these facts in mean that on the whole the movement of the Orthopedic disabled persons has been paralyzed due to social and religion attitudes. The persons who become disability in later stages of age only have studied up to higher education as because able children. Currently deaf students are taught by a variety of educational methods but the primary method should essentially be first and foremost “sign language”. One of the major problems is dearth of interpreters for deaf. Please see picture 05 for Sinhala Alphabet.
There are only a few Vocational Training Centres to cater to the handicapped in Sri Lanka, run by the Government Departments of Social Services.The two year full time courses in the following fields are provide: Motor Mechanism, Carpentry, Spray painting, Tailoring, Welding, Servicing of Vehicles, Tinkering, Metal Work, Electrical Work, Leather works. Trainees undergoing the two year courses will be paid Rs. 20/- per day. Until arrangements are made to accommodate the trainees in halls of residence they are expected to find their own accommodation. On completion of the course the trainees will have to sit a separate examination and those successful will receive certificate but it is not recognize by Technical Education Department on a par with their own certificate. So Handicapped Technicians are so discriminated against.
There are other ways to get trained in government Technical Colleges and Universities for the disabled persons who posses minimum entrance requirements to get direct entry with approval from the Department of social Services and Higher Education Department. There are especial arrangements for the enroll disabled students to the universities. Transport FacilitiesThere are no special arrangements in public transport provided to the physical disable in Sri Lanka. Some of disable people are using tricycle to move about. Other use crutches and hand crutches to move and travel in normal or bus service. There are seats have reserved for the handicapped people in the buses and the trains.
There is hardly any job opportunity in handicapped persons in Sri Lanka. Those who have passed higher examination and degrees only can get jobs. Those who can afford higher education to get jobs. Government has already reserved 3% of vacancies for the handicapped people, since 1989 but practical application of this action is very slow.
Accessible Building Environment in the country is not yet been come out. But the Minister of Social Welfare has been formulated guidelines for accessible in building design has been formulated since 1995. As implementation of accessible environment was very slow, Government has prepared legislation to protect this need. Sri Lanka also has established national council for person with disabilities under the act of protection of the right of the person with disability. Above council consist 51% members from the organization of disable people and those members appointed by the President of the country.
In the year 1977, June 24th we were able to form Organization called "United Funds of Handicapped Sri Lanka".(UFH-56) This formation was a great rally of all disable group was held that Hide Park in the Capital City of Colombo. On that day Mr. Reancy Alagiyawanna was selected as the Hon: President. While Mr. M.C.Mendis was elected as the Hon: Treasurer.
It is with pride that PWD put on record that UFHSL was able to send the malti handicapped delegation to Asia Pacific Council Meeting held in Decca Bangladesh in 1985. Accordingly PWDs were able to become Provisional member of DPI with the development PWDs further change name as Sri Lanka Confederation of Organization of the Handicapped People. This movement (Umbrella Organization ) consist of 100% disable people’s organization. Later at the first Meeting of confederation, it was unanimously agree in the presence of government officials to celebrate 13th September is the DPI Day of Sri Lanka. The date which has registered date was taken as our Confederation with the Government.
01.Sri Lanka National Federation of the Visually Handicapped. 02.Physically Handicapped Technician’s Association Sri Lanka. 03.Sri Lanka Handicapped Women’s Organization. 04.District Representative of the DPI Sri Lanka. 05.Representative of the Post Polio Network Sri Lanka. 06.Representative of the Executive Committee of the ACBC (All Ceylon Buddhist Congress) 07.Representative of the Sama Vihara Foundation of Buddhist Monk. 08.Representative of the Association of Congenial Disable People. 09.Representative of Vocational Training for Integration Association of Handicapped People 10.Representative of the ESCO Rehabilitation Foundation. 11.Representative of the Center on Building Access counselors 12.Representative of Spouses of the Disabled Persons 13.Representative of the Guardians of the Disabled Children 14.Representative of the council of the sports of the handicapped technicians. 15.Representative of Elderly Person. 16.Association of Partially Blind Persons. 17.Hearing impaired representative Deaf/Dumb 18.Representative of the Chartered Institute of Building Sri Lanka. NOTE: There are about 100 Nos. of and for organizations are existing in several locations
In 1995 finalized Design Guide for the barrier free Construction concerning the persons with Disabilities and within another months have legislation on the same for implementation.
01.Promote self-employments for WWDS for their independent living. 02.Support husbands with disabilities to have a satisfied marriage life.
03.Support children of WWD and Handicapped parents for uplift children education. 04.Conduct leadership training for WWD.
05.Conduct technical training for uplift WWD Vocational knowledge enable to complete other workers. 06.Canvacing for Housing and transport facilities.
07.Conduct fairs for sell products of the WWDS. 08.Conduct training for fellow members. 09.Encourage WWD for higher studies and have marriage life. Tsunami There are four provinces which comprises 12 districts have Affected by Tsunami. (Sri Lanka has 25 districts) Accordingly number of affected Families =260,991, number of displaced families =143,518 ; Displaced persons in welfare centers =96,769 ; Displaced persons with relatives =449,740; Total of displaced persons = 96,769 +449,740 = 546,509, Total of the deaths =31,147; Total of missing =4,115; Injured =23,059, Number of Completely damaged Houses =66,681; Partially damaged houses = 41,461 Total number of welfare camps =262, total number of affected persons ( 546,509 persons x 3.2% ) = 17,488 of persons with disabilities have been affected. Most of them are in need of new houses and also PWDs lobbing government to provide them with accessible houses. They lost their wheel chairs, crutches, Tricycles, income Generating apparatus (like sewing machines etc.) or damaged, therefore it is a further challenge for PWDs.
Following the Biwako Millennium Framework sub-regional offices be strengthened, this office not works constantly in particular area and have no proper office, staff or record. When a member elected as sub-regional voice chair, he doesn’t know about his job description and doesn’t know from where to start. Because of this no MNA make correspondence with this office. Sub-regions may be focused in strategic plan, as a tool to assist and coordinate among MNAs and RDO office. North Asia Sub-region has set an example to hold sub-regional meetings. But other regions not practiced it because of lack of funs. South Asia sub-region can promote activities through North Asia’s experience of sub-regional meetings. South Asia sub-region should convince member countries through its National assemblies to support UN disability rights Convention because in this sub-region no activity observed regarding lobbing for convention. Women with Disabilities is a major area which should be on top priority because WWDs are deprived from their rights and face domestic torture even death in the name of honor killing in this sub region. This region may focus on SAARC and through this platform and develop collaboration among their Governments.. Especially South Asia needed more attention because of its backwardness in many areas of disability movement. 1 According to the 2001 provisional census 2 Report No 393.NSSO A report on disabled persons 47th Round July-December-1991 3 Report on manpower development. Rehabilitation Council of India Download 349.56 Kb. Share with your friends:
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