Entry made easy

Encouraging the designing of built environments that are compatible to all citizens should be a national goal, says Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera

By Salma Yusuf

‘Let us design to include everyone’, is the message which lies at the heart of ‘Enabling Environments for All’, a campaign spearheaded by Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera.

Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera advocates access for all

A Chartered Analytical Chemist by profession, Dr. Perera also gained national recognition as a test match panel cricket umpire. However, at a time when bright and prosperous careers, one in industry and the other as a cricket umpire, were simultaneously unfolding for him, a tragic accident – a tree falling on his moving car – left him paraplegic, for the rest of his life.

What is most significant is that even after being confined to a wheelchair, through his own endeavours, he continues to inspire us, proving that he is still ‘not out’ and truly a productive citizen.

At a presentation made recently to the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), where he was invited as guest speaker, Dr. Perera revealed the aims and objectives of his campaign. The problem affects a wide and diverse range of people. Pregnant mothers with small children, elderly, visually-impaired, wheelchair users and those with debilitating medical conditions, which are often hidden to the eye, such as arthritis, diabetes neuropathy and retinopathy may have reduced ability to move freely, yet the majority are healthy and ABLE. Hence, he pointed out that it is the moral duty and the responsibility of our architects and builders, as the custodians of our living environments, to design for inclusion of this wide sector.

Only when this appeal is made into reality, then and only then, will we see the arrest of ‘social exclusion’ created by man to its kind, which as he said, has already caused a series of rising social problems of national importance.

“At a time when we talk of economic progress, social development, enhanced productivity and poverty alleviation, as a country, Sri Lanka can no more permit the waste of human potential and the rise of unwanted dependants, with shattered self-respect and self-reliance through man-made public buildings,’ Dr. Perera said.

Dr. Perera, through Idiriya, an organisation which he heads as Secretary General, has been successful in getting buildings that are enabling to all, and their designers have been recognised and rewarded. These awards, as proposed by Dr. Perera, will be named after the late Vidya Jyothi Dr. A. N. S. Kulasinghe, in appreciation of his distinguished services to Sri Lanka. This will certainly be significant in our country’s history, Dr. Perera pointed out, as it will be the first time such long overdue recognition will be given in this country.

‘This should stimulate the interest of people to pave the way to create living environments, where the innate potential of everyone can be chanelled towards achieving social, economic and spiritual objectives for themselves, their families and the country too,’ remarked Dr Perera very cheerfully at the end.