Dr. Padmani Mendis wins Leadership in Rehabilitation Award

Dr. Padmani Mendis has been honoured with the 'WCPT 2015 Leadership in Rehabilitation Award' presented by the World Confederation for Physiotherapy (WCPT). The award is given to not only physiotherapists but individuals and organisations who have contributed to international rehabilitation and global health. Dr. Mendis will receive her award at a gala dinner at the WCPT General Meeting in Singapore.

Dr. Mendis received her secondary education at Ladies' College, Colombo and professional education at the Royal Orthopaedic Hopsital, Birmingham and Guys Hospital, London. As a consultant for the WHO she pioneered the revolutionary concept of Community Based Rehabilitation of the Disabled (CBR) with Dr. Einar Helander and Ms. Gunnel Nelson. As a consultant to the WHO and other UN agencies she has worked in many countries in the Middle East, South East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

She was conferred the degree of Dr. of Medicine Honoris Causa by Uppsala University, Sweden for her contribution to the global development of CBR .

In Sri Lanka she was instrumental in setting up the Disability Studies Unit at the Kelaniya University and was Chairperson of the Committee that drafted the National Policy on Disability and the National Action Plan on Disability.