Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) is an organization that exists to change people's attitudes with regards to disabled people around the world. LCD is UK's largest voluntary sector provider of support to disabled people and works with over 250 independently managed disability organizations in 54 countries worldwide.
The Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource center was established in Colombo, Sri Lanka in the year 2005, to reach out to persons with disabilities affected by the Tsunami by the LCD South Asia Regional office which is based in Bangalore, India. The office works with 22,600 persons with disabilities in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The LCDRC office in Colombo has two filed projects located at Galle and Trincomalee with two resource centres. Its main focus is to work with persons with disabilities in thematic areas such as Inclusive Education, Livelihoods, and Support for Everyday Living and Advocacy & Campaigning. The DRCs have been playing an active role in information dissemination, resource material development and capacity building on disability in Sri Lanka. The organization works at the national level providing information and services to persons with disabilities and lobbying policy makers and other organizations to mainstream disability in their policies and programmes.
 Through its two projects office, they are reaching out to 5449 persons with disabilities providing various interventions. The projects also organises and support advocacy initiatives among people with disabilities with a special emphasis on women/girls with disabilities, so that they can effectivepromote their own human rights and equality within society at both local and national levels. Through its services LCRDC aims to bridge the gap that exists between persons with disabilities and service providers in Sri Lanka.
LCDRC has been successfully reaching out to persons with disabilities and providing them livelihood opportunities through skill development programmes, supporting in self employment, financial services, open employment and social protection. It also works towards reducing the impact of disability by providing para medical and medical interventions. It further promotes inclusive education in order to enrol children with disabilities in mainstream school through various school awareness programmes, teacher's training in handling children with disabilities, lobbying with the school authorities, making the school accessible, peer sensitisation etc. It has been successful in enrolling more than 100 children with disabilities in mainstream schools so far.
 The Sunday Times spoke of to Mr. Jeevan Kodithuwakku, Programme Director and Mr. U. L. Ali Zakky, Manager - Advocacy and Campaigning the LC Disability Resource Centre to find out more about the services the centre offers.
"LCDRC was established to reach out to all categories of persons with disabilities. The center provides all services relating to disability issues. As a organization practicing rights based approach to disability, always promote the community based rehabilitation approach as a strategy rather than institutional or charity based approaches as it affect the self esteem and life of dignity. Once we identify the needs of disabled people we provide intervention accordingly in our project areas. From livelihood support, to education, to therapy, medical support etc. For this we have a well trained staff in addition to foreign consultation services provided through our head office which is located in India. We have also formed 51 Self Help Groups for each Grama Niladhari Divisions (GNDs), though which we train individuals on leadership, effective communication, National and international legislations on disability etc", says Mr.Jeevan Kodithuwakku.
 The LCDRC has taken a leading role in instigating the government ministries on the importance of signing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In support for this the LCDRC has organized a project under the name 'Young Voices', which was initiated by LCD London and is currently running in18 countries around the world.
"So far we have formed Young Voices groups in Galle, Trincomalee and Colombo, where the age limit is between 16 to 25 years of age. Any potential, young active individual with a disability can participate in this project which encourages young individuals to fight for the rights of other disabled individuals. The project also encourages capacity building amongst young disabled individuals where a few of them have also received the unique opportunity to visit other countries and gain knowledge. Through projects we hope to build the capacity of the future leaders of Sri Lanka", said Mr. Zakky.
 LCDRC Sri Lanka is directly funded from LCD UK in addition this LCDRC also raises its own funds by submitting proposals bilateral and multilateral donors. With the intention of providing equal accessibility for all and to promote the rights of persons with disabilities the LCDRC team met the Election Commissioner together with the Young Voices group and explained the importance of making accessible poling stations on behalf of persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka. As a result, with his permission, LCDRC conducted an access audit and successfully crated a model polling station at Kumbugoda-ara Buddhist Centre in Embilipitiya for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka in order to replicate the same by the policy makers in all future elections. LCDRC has also supported in creating the first accessible playground in Trincomalee.
Thomas Grey, a prolific English writer in his poem "Elegy written in a country church yard" says:
…..Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste it's sweetness on the desert air………
Mr. U. L. Ali Zakky, Manager - Advocacy and Campaigning the LC Disability Resource Centre |
Mr. Jeevan Kodithuwakku, Programme Director |
He means to say that the large numbers of gems lying hidden inside dark caves of the ocean are without value if they are not taken out. Similarly the fragrance and sweetness of many flowers blooming in the desert is wasted if nobody enjoys it. In the same way if billions of persons with disabilities remain cornered in their houses and their talents and potentials go unutilized in the developmental process, it is a huge waste of human resource. we should try to bring them out of their houses and ensure that this potential human capital is used in the reconstruction process of the communities, societies and nation building. Two important things in this word are mutual trust and mutual care. We should trust that situation of persons with disabilities can also be changed. We should care for them, not because they are a burden to the society, but because it our social obligation.
That's why we ensure, promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities and we are also focusing on promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", further emphasized Mr. Kodithuwakku.
Mr. K. I. De Silva Honorable Chairman of the National Council commenting on the LCD movement and its goals said, "Today 10% of the population of Sri Lanka is disabled and an estimated 650 million disabled persons are located all over the world.
The LCD movement has always been the flag bearer of disability work in the world and has always emphasized the importance of community based rehabilitation and is in the forefront with regards to breaking the barriers to move into the communities." Through its many initiatives LCDRC has provided the opportunity for many persons with disabilities to rise above their inabilities by empowering them with the right skills, knowledge, attitudes and encouragement. It looks ahead of a society wherein all persons with disabilities live a life of dignity. |
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