Trouble brewing between otherwiseabled and training institute
The Vocational Training Institute for Disabled Persons (VTIDP) in Seeduwa caters to the educational needs of groups of differently-abled students who pursue a wide variety of activities. The institute caters specifically to students over 18, who have passed out from the Ratmalana School for the Deaf and Blind.
According to Disabled Persons ' Forum Chairman M.M. Nawfer, the institute -a state-run body- falls under the purview of the Social Services Department and is located on a 12- acre block of land which was originally owned by a businessman, the late Richard De Soysa, but was subsequently acquired by the then government.
Unfortunately today, students at the facility are faced with a plethora of problems which not only relate to their physical disabilities but the loss of facilities they previously enjoyed as well as difficulties which have come about due to ongoing construction activities.
In 2013 a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) was signed between the Department of Social Services and the National Institute of Social Development (NISD), which saw five acres of the land being allocated to the NISD when Mr. Felix Perera was the Minister of Social Services.
Since then, the NISD has commenced construction on the allocated plot of land to construct a Social Development University.
According to sources who did not wish to be identified, the ladies hostel, main hall, kitchen, a dancing room, a playground, and a building belonging to the institute are set to be demolished to construct the proposed new centre, thus depriving students of several facilities they enjoyed previously.
However, former Minister Felix Perera refuted such claims, saying the proposed building would not affect the vocational training institute. “For several years we were renting out buildings to establish a University for Social Development. Then we came across this plot of land” he told the Sunday Times.
He explained that the location was chosen as it would favour the practical sessions of the students.
“However, I do not know whether my successor, Minister S.B. Dissanayake changed that plan,” he added.
Former director general of the NISD Dr. Ridley Jayasinghe, who signed the MoU, said construction activities had commenced with the consensus of the Vocational Training Institute.
“They had no objection at that timwhen we signed the MoU” he said, adding construction activities had commenced with the idea of enabling the differently-abled to be assisted by students who would be enrolled at the Social Development University.
Although Dr. Jayasinghe admited that Minister Dissanayake did, in fact' make certain changes to the building plan, he said it did not affect the vocational training institute.
“The proposed changes were pertaining to our building” he explained.
The former director general added that a building belonging to the VTIDP was demolished due to the ongoing construction. However, a larger building was constructed at the NISD’s own expense as a replacement, he said.
Subajini Fernando, a mother whose son is enrolled at the institute told the Sunday Times that her son cannot travel from one place to another place without a wheel chair.
“This (the VTIDP) is the only place where we can enrol our kids after they complete their school education” she said.
She added, "our country lacks facilities such as physiotherapy and swimming for the differently-abled.
“Around 90 percent of the parents of the children attending the institute come from agricultural back grounds she said. Some parents do not have the financial capacity to even visit their children”.
According to the Department of Census and Statistics report of 2102, 1.8 million persons were identified as differently-abled.
Out of the said number, around 800,000 are between the ages of 16 – 35. There are only nine vocational training institutes country-wide and they cater to a mere 700 students. The government allocation toward disabled persons is limited to Rs 40 million she added.
And now it seems as if the NISD is depriving this unfortunate section of our population of even the existing facilities.
The NISD general manager Ms. Attanayake, however said “They (differently-abled) did not use the playground facilities to play. They only used it as a path to travel to and from the electronic workshop in their wheelchairs”.
She said that students at the institute would be able to benefit from those who would be joining the university once it has been constructed.
However,9 the parents of the differently-abled students are now demanding that the facilities be restricted to the differently-abled community and the new constructions be reserved for these students only.