Real-world implementation of inclusive environment for persons with disabilities remains inadequate

ILO  A training session at the centre

International Day of Persons with Disabilities falls today 

 

• The Employers’ Disability Network, pioneered by the International Labour Organization and Employers Federation of Ceylon, has been lauded as a case study for mainstreaming disability into the world of work

The 2018 theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities focuses on empowering persons with disabilities, facilitating equitable and sustainable development. Often in developing countries, people with disabilities are excluded from equal access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities. 

In the case of Sri Lanka, there is an increasing number of persons with disabilities in the aftermath of the recent conflict. The 2012 census by the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka reports that there are 1.5 million persons with disabilities over the age of 15 years. While legislative provisions and policy documents have laid the legal foundation towards an inclusive environment, real-world implementation remains inadequate. 

In many cases, poverty is seen as a consequence of disability as access to education, health, transport and employment prove to be formidable barriers, exacerbating vulnerability and exclusion. Moreover, cultural, religious and traditional circumstances often focus more on making charitable provisions for persons with disabilities instead of creating an inclusive society. Therefore, access to employment and ensuring human and social rights are essential prerequisites to improving the socio-economic conditions faced by persons with disabilities.

The Employers’ Disability Network is the brainchild of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC), and was launched in 2000 to alleviate employment challenges faced by persons with disabilities. The Network acts as an intermediary between Sri Lanka’s business community and organisations dealing with disability issues, while simultaneously increasing the employability of persons with disabilities. 



 

FT Key Take

• The 2012 census by the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka reports that there are over 1.5 million differently abled persons over the age of 15 years
• Women with disabilities are likely to face more barriers to accessing education and employment opportunities than men
• In Sri Lanka, cultural, religious and traditional circumstances often focus more on making charitable provisions for persons with disabilities instead of creating an inclusive society

The Employers’ Disability Network has been hailed by global employers’ network as one of the best business cases in the region for mainstreaming disability within workplaces and is often invited to global fora to showcase the inclusive and innovative business best practices from Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the network has taken considerable strides in ICT, language and skills training, offering opportunities for economic empowerment to persons with disabilities. The network’s training arm – the ICT Training Centre – was launched in 2009 with the support of ILO Sri Lanka and collaborates with Curtin University of Technology in Australia and SLIIT (Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology) Malabe. The ICT Training Centre received CISCO Academy status in 2014 and also provides distance learning facilities for those unable to travel to Colombo.