Disabled persons to top two million in a few years
[October 25 2008]

<p>Sri Lanka Medical Association, President Prof. Lalitha Mendis said that
there will be nearly two million disabled persons in Sri Lanka during the
next few years.She said the Government and other organizations currently
engaged in social service activities will have to play a vital role to
meet the requirements of the community and uplift their social status.
Prof. Mendis was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the National
Council for the Deaf (NCD), held in Colombo. NCD, Director Maud Senaratne
presided.
Referring to global statistics, Prof. Mendis said that of the 6.6 billion
population, 10 per cent are disabled and measures have been already taken
in many countries to meet their demands while improving their living
standards.
“Although, Sri Lanka has not updated statistics about the number of
disabled persons, it has been revealed that the disabled community in our
country has increased from 3 to 13 per cent” she said the authorities must
pay special attention towards improving the educational activities of
disabled persons and their vocational skills such as woodwork training,
carpentry, masonry, lace making, tailoring and patchwork.