Members of the Disability Organisations Joint Front (DOJF) met with the Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament on January 29, 2025. The meeting was also attended by Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, The Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, and the Chairperson of the Disability Organisations Joint Front, Mrs. Rasanjali Pathirage.
The DOJF members briefed several longstanding issues affecting the disabled community in Sri Lanka, stressing the need for their inclusion in the country’s policy-making processes. They highlighted that despite representing a significant portion of the population, people with disabilities are often excluded from decisions that impact their lives.
They also drew the attention of the Hon. Speaker to the need to establish an independent commission to find solutions to the issues of the persons with disabilities. They also emphasized the need to prepare a formal coordination program to meet the needs of the persons with disabilities, including policy formulation, and the need to pass the bill to recognize sign language as a national language. DOJF also emphasized the need for a comprehensive program to address the health issues of the hearing impaired, particularly among women. They also requested the Hon. Speaker to make arrangements for the re-establishment of the ‘Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities’ in the Tenth Parliament.
During the meeting Hon. Speaker, pointed out that, for the first time in Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary history, a visually impaired Member of Parliament, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, is serving as a representative. He noted that Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva had already requested the Secretary General of Parliament to establish the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, and assured that the caucus would be set up promptly. The Hon. Speaker emphasized that this initiative would help address the long-standing issues faced by people with disabilities in Sri Lanka.
