Jobs for the disabled

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Sri Lanka's first islandwide census on physically disabled persons will be carried out by the Labour Relations and Manpower Ministry on September 01.

The objective of this program is to collect the personal data of each disabled person and register their names in a recently established State job bank at Battaramulla.

The job bank is conducted under the purview of Labour Relations and Manpower Ministry on the directive of Minister Athauda Seneviratne.

Speaking to the Sunday Observer Minister Seneviratne highlighted the importance of providing jobs to disabled persons and said that the aim of this program is to send each person for suitable employment in State departments and private sector organisations after a careful study of their educational qualifications and vocational training. It is reported that out of a large number of disabled persons in the country, only 28 per cent are currently engaged in employment in the State and private sector institutions.

The Minister further said although there was a Government rule to recruit disabled persons to institutions, only few employers have provided employment to them. Therefore, the Minister called upon all employers to consider it as a need of the nation and take steps to recruit disabled persons to their institutions at least on humanitarian grounds.