The disabled in this country are silent sufferers of humanity. Nearly 10 percent of the citizens are disabled and though some authorities lull them with a term ‘differently abled’ persons; the change of a nomenclature does not serve any purpose to the individual person concerned. Little has been done by the Ministry and the Department of Social Services but still, more and more has to be done.

The cry of the disabled goes on continually as the predominant feature that is lacking is that the disabled themselves are not given the legitimate rights of ‘handling their own affairs’ as the line of action should be BY the disabled of the disabled and FOR the disabled and let them handle their own welfare methods administratively and pragmatically than any able-bodied person or group of persons as ‘only the wearer of the shoe knows where it pinches’.

There is a National Secretariat for persons with disabilities which come under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Welfare and it is headed by a person who has no knowledge or experience at all, on matters for the welfare and rehabilitation services for the disabled. It should be headed by a disabled himself or herself who will know exactly the pains and sufferings of the disabled as among the disabled, we have professionals who can manage their own affairs more efficiently; if only they are put, on the driving seat, as a non-disabled person will be a thorough misfit and a square peg in a round hole. This has been fully realised by several countries in the Asian and Pacific region and there are disabled veterans who manage their own affairs with excellence and a classic example is the case of David Blunkett(a Blind) who is a Minister in the House of Commons in Great Britain and many more similar examples can be quoted how disabled themselves are pioneers in their fields.

All these years in Sri Lanka the disabled have been mere ‘pawns’ in the hands of those who do not know their problems and mishandled by the authorities concerned and it is high time the new minister took very serious action in giving their ‘due place to the disabled themselves’ to work out their own welfare services, rather than handing over to non-disabled persons. Help the disabled manage their own affairs.
Patrick de Silva
Katana