Sri Lankan official says disabled people's rights will be protected

From Daily News in Sri Lanka:

Under the Mahinda Chinthana programme, destitute families with disabled persons have been identified and are being paid a monthly allowance of Rs.3,000 to meet their basic needs, Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda said.

Minister Devananda was addressing the National ceremony organised to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities held at the SLFI, Colombo 7 yesterday. He said that the National Council for Persons with Disabilities chaired by him always works very closely with other ministries and NGOs to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

Minister Devananda said several measures have been taken by the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities to protect the dignity and ensure justice for all disabled persons.

A draft Bill has been already formulated and it will be presented to Parliament within a short period. This Bill recognizes that discrimination against any person on the basis of disability is a violation of the dignity of the person.

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that in 1998, an Act was passed making it compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 14 to attend school and education will be made compulsory soon for all Sri Lankan children between the ages of 5 and 16 which will enable them to study up to the Ordinary Level. The main intention of the Government is increasing the percentage of children attending schools to 100 per cent.

Minister Premajayantha said that there is a specific paragraph in the Mahinda Chinthanaya about persons with disabilities and that all Ministries should work together for the well being of persons with disabilities. First of all we have to accept that the disabled have the same rights just as normal persons and only after accepting it can we act for their welfare.