INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED IN SLAIDSL COMPLETES 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

The Association of Intellectually Disabled in Sri Lanka (AIDSL) which commenced in 1969 will complete fifty years of yeomen service in 2019. The present Council of AIDSL has decided to showcase its activities to the public in Sri Lanka with a series of events throughout 2019.

The Intellectually Disabled, formerly known as mentally retarded in Sri Lanka

is a group that has been neglected up to the mid-1950s.

Hitherto those were treated in a large number of cases as lunatics or idiots. With the setting up of the Madiwela Home by a psychiatrist the neglect has gradually over the past 50 years transformed itself into a more humane approach in the upliftment of these disabled persons. In 1969 the Ceylon Association for the mentally retarded was founded and incorporated by an Act of parliament in 1971.

The Association did much in stimulating in the treatment and care of the mentally retarded. In the 1990’s the State was influenced by these activities to recognize mental retardation as a disability that required a different approach to present and uplift mental retardation to a condition spelt out by the UN Declaration on the rights of the Intellectually Disabled persons by resolution 2856. The Golden Jubilee of AIDSL will be celebrated with a series of special activities throughout 2019 and they are: Golden Jubilee Annual General Meeting, national Art Competition, soft Ball cricket competition, Golden Jubilee Convention at Kingsbury Hotel), National Workshop (Half a day at SLFI), Golden Jubilee Residential Camp and National Musical show ‘Sahan Eliya’.