Making them independent and employable
A special mission: Praveena Joseph de Saram with students
In a society where individuals with intellectual disabilities often face exclusion and limited opportunities, the Shiranee Joseph de Saram Foundation (SJDSF) strives for a world where every person with special needs has the opportunity to access education, embrace expanded possibilities, and reach their full potential for independence.
Consider Pahan who has been employed at Barista, the well known coffee franchise, for nearly a year. Pahan’s role as the primary provider for his family serves as evidence of the Foundation’s impactful efforts.
Formerly known as the Rehabilitation Centre for the Communication Impaired, the Foundation was begun in 1993 by Sri Lanka’s first speech therapist, Shiranee Joseph de Saram, who is responsible for setting up speech therapy clinics at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. The centre at D.M. Colombage Mawatha, Colombo 05, was established by the foundation to provide training and support for those with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, learning disabilities and other disorders, as well as allow them to have the everyday experiences of going to school as well as a sense of community for their families. Praveena Joseph de Saram, Shiranee’s daughter is now the Foundation’s Managing Director.
The Foundation has school readiness programmes, a vocational training programme, teaches life skills, functional literacy, travel training, and gardening. A workshop in September 2023 and the resulting Colours for Cause campaign, saw a range of student-made tie-dye products such as t-shirts, tote bags, pouches, scrunchies, and table runner sets, as well as other handmade items such as wrapping paper, gift bags, decor, and jewellery being produced.
“It’s been really successful. Some workers can do the whole process, like knotting it, dyeing it, and drying it. Some can only do the dying part. We make a wide variety of items—sarongs, beach wraps, and T-shirts,” says Praveena.
Having always been attuned to the special needs community in Sri Lanka, Praveena has worked with the centre since her youth. After reading for her bachelor’s in physics at the University of Oxford and obtaining a master’s in molecular biology and neuroscience from Princeton University, she went on to conduct research at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. She has also served on numerous boards at Princeton University and the Princeton-Blairstown Centre, an over 110-year-old charity that serves disadvantaged youth in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
One vital endeavour of the Foundation is the Supported Employment Programme, aimed at securing competitive jobs for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) like Pahan. The goal is to ensure that they don’t merely occupy roles based on charity but make meaningful contributions to workplaces and be duly compensated.
The Foundation offers educational seminars to prospective employers, including HR and host teams, in order to familiarise them with IDs, a concept often unfamiliar to many in Sri Lanka. They then assist in navigating the complex process of job matching by analysing multiple job descriptions to identify suitable tasks for each individual and conducting task analysis and training sessions, both at the centre and partner sites, before gradually integrating individuals into full-time roles. Close collaboration with job seekers and their supervisors is maintained to address any necessary adaptations or support requirements throughout this process.
The SJDSF currently partners with Barista, Kapruka, and The Cakery, with individuals employed at Barista and Kapruka, with The Cakery serving as a training venue. “We have success stories and we’ve had things that haven’t worked out, so it’s a learning process for all of us, including the companies,” says Speech and Language Therapist Nayanalie Dassanayake.
In Sri Lanka, those with special needs are often enrolled in government schools lacking adequate resources and trained educators and receiving little to no career guidance. “By the time they seek employment opportunities at our organisation at the age of 26, a significant window for skill development and vocational training has been missed,” says Praveena.
Through this initiative, the Foundation seeks to encourage parents to engage with them early on. “It’s beneficial for us to receive children at a younger age, around 14, rather than later at 25. In addition to our workshops, we provide supplementary programmes such as travel training, which teaches individuals to navigate independently. This includes simple tasks like safely crossing roads and making purchases at local shops. We also offer instruction in essential life skills like bed-making, ironing, and clothing care,” explains Nayanalie.
“It’s honestly more challenging for us to find individuals who are trainable than it is to find employers willing to offer them jobs. We currently have around 10 job openings that we could easily fill, but there’s a shortage of workers available,” says Praveena. “So, our goal is to demonstrate to the public the value of enrolling a child in a programme like this, where they can discover avenues to maximise their potential for independence.”
For more information on the Shiranee Joseph de Saram Foundation,
visit their website at https://www.sjdsf.lk/ Or contact +(94) 112 819 310 or +(94) 776 117 145 or email them at contact@sjdsf.lk
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