Financial Times

Disabled achievers to be feted at special Sri Lankan ceremony
Five very special persons with disabilities have won eligibility for the ETD (Enable the Disabled) National Dirijaya Awards 2005 after an all island self-nominations program conducted by ETD and screened through a rigorous selection process.

They would be publicly feted and given awards for Special Achievement in the fields of Academic, Professional, Entrepreneurship, Sports and Music/Performing Arts at a grand ceremony to be held on Tuesday 28th February at the Galle Face Hotel, the organizers said in a statement. Two more awards are in line for Distinguished Services to the Disabled Community by a Disabled, and Most Disabled Friendly Employer.

Fourteen Runner-up Awards would also be presented. For a first time, children with disabilities have also entered the competition and Awards would be made to children under 12 years for Academic Achievement, Sports and Music/Performing Arts, they said.

The Dirijaya Awards 2005 would be graced by Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickramanayake who will present the awards. Also in attendance as Guests of Honour would be Miguel Bermeo, UN Resident Representative, Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Welfare and Sanjeev Gardiner, Chairman, Galle Face Hotel and special invitee, World Bank Representative Ismail Irdwan.
The Awards are supported by Johnson Diversity Inc together with Rotary Reconnection and co-sponsored by Delmege Forsyth & Co. Ltd, Singer Sri Lanka and Virtusa who were loyal sponsors of the first Awards in 2004 and joined now by Excel World Entertainment Park and hosted by Galle Face Hotel. Enable the Disabled is a CSR venture of The Management Club, operating under the auspices of The Chartered Management Institute-UK, Sri Lanka Branch nation.

The statement said Sri Lanka has over 1.7 million disabled citizens currently whose latent talents and labour could be well harnessed for the national good.
ETD’s island wide research revealed that almost all of them wanted to work and make their own contribution to society, build their own self esteem and overcome society’s perception of their condition.

ETD has a long term programme to achieve these objectives and will work not only with all disability fronts, but with the government, private sector, NGOs, INGO’s and the public. The program is divided into two categories - Empowering the Disabled and Changing the attitude towards the Disabled.

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