The Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva

¶ 01 Thank you.

¶ 02 Though that circular was issued in 1988, it has not materialized. With 71 per cent still jobless, responsibility lies with both public and private sectors. The State must ensure the 3 per cent quota in public institutions; without that, we cannot ethically compel the private sector.

¶ 03 For example, visually impaired persons work in the Railway Department’s seat-reservation call sections; that cadre can be expanded. The Educational Publications Department has a Braille press, yet vacancies remain unfilled due to circular constraints, despite need.

¶ 04 Under the Multipurpose Development Task Force, about thirty thousand were recruited and posted to various institutions through the Department of Social Services, but management failed to obtain effective service. We must revisit these arrangements to economically empower persons with disabilities, support their families, and grant them a beautiful life. As a Government, we must provide welfare programmes and ensure their social empowerment.

¶ 05 Sri Lanka has ratified the UNCRPD and later acceded, but we have yet to legislate a domestic law aligned with it. Accepting international norms in name while failing to implement them at home deprives disabled persons of 25 core rights and of mechanisms to realize their aspirations. The State architecture must be aligned accordingly, as clearly guided by Article 33 of the UNCRPD on national implementation and monitoring.

¶ 06 Guided by our “Leave No One Behind” policy, we dream of creating an unhindered social environment where persons with disabilities can live free, dignified, prosperous, beautiful lives. If we fail, our civilizational promise will collapse.

¶ 07 With a large majority, we in the NPP Government should undertake a scientific data-gathering and classification exercise to create a time-bound service and benefits delivery mechanism. Build a dynamic, regularly updated disability data system and base all policies and programmes on evidence. For 76 years, programmes failed due to lack of data-driven design. Thank you for the time, Hon. Presiding Member.