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Decades-long struggle clears way for hearing-impaired to drive
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Licences were provided for 40 people with hearing impairments at the Gampaha District Secretary’s office. Pic by Akila Jayawardena
A programme to provide driving licenses for hearing impaired persons islandwide will begin by January next year, Department of Motor Traffic commissioner (development) Kusalani de Silva said.
For decades, the National Federation of the Deaf had been campaigning for such licenses. The World Federation of the Deaf had also urged that licences be provided to hearing-impaired. It was n 2016 that the Department of Motor Traffic and the National Council for Road Safety accepted the rights of the hearing-impaired. Sri Lanka has also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. But, Sri Lanka is yet to accede to the Optional Protocol which allows affected people to communicate with Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities when redress is denied or exhausted in the domestic jurisdiction for any grave violation of their rights.
The Government first held a trial late last year when candidates were asked to take a medical exam and a written test. Those selected were then trained.
Last week, licenses were provided for 40 people with hearing impairments at the Gampaha District Secretary’s office.
State Minister of Transport, Lasantha Alagiyawanna last week told Parliament that during the current license holder’s trial period, no accidents were reported and that it was a positive development.
When licences were handed out, he said he appreciates, “the special support of the doctors of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Consultant Unit of Gampaha District Hospital’’.
Senior sign language interpreter of the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf, Janaka Ranasinghe, said after 20 years of requests to the Government, they have got this opportunity to allow the hearing impaired to get driving licenses.
He said there are around 1,000 people who have applied for licenses during the past 20 years from among the hearing impaired population of around 500,000 in the country, of which 39,000 are in the Gampaha district.
Accordingly, those who have received this light-vehicle driving license have to display a special sticker on the front and rear of the vehicle.
Also, they are provided with a special document approved by the Ministry of Transport and the National Council for Road Safety. It has the vehicle license plate number and the contact number of a sign language interpreter in case of an accident to communicate with the police officers and other parties. “By this initiative, equal rights will be given to the deaf people, and they will not be neglected by society,” he commented.
Chairman of the National Transport Medical Institute Darshana Abeyratne, president of the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf Brian Susantha Kodituwakku, chief secretary Anil Jayawardana, sign language Interpreter Janaka Ranasinghe, president of the Deaf Women’s Association Nanda Kumari, president of the Gampaha District Association of the Deaf Organization Mahesh Jayawardhana, and several Government officials were present at the event to issue licenses at the Gampaha district Secretariat.
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