Financial Times

Access for the disabled mandatory
A consortium of local and international Disability Organizations, pioneers and initiators of ‘Access for All’ - the campaign fighting for the rights of disabled people, said last week that regulations on accessible facilities for persons with disabilities have now been gazetted.

The new legislation is a result of several years of hard work of the Disability Organization’s Joint Front (DOJF) and disability organizations. DOJF in collaboration with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities were instrumental in initiating national guidelines in accessibility and in drafting earlier legislation.

According to the new regulations which have been gazetted no person shall construct, reconstruct or renovate any public building or structure in any public place unless any plan which relates to such building or structure is in conformity with the specifications and designs as set out in the regulations.

“This is a significant milestone in the ‘Access for All’ campaign. At last disabled people have an opportunity to enter into public places and to contribute to the work place, to education and to society at large” said Sqn. Ldr. Cyril Siriwardena, Secretary General of the Disability Organizations Joint Front.

‘Access’ according to the regulations, means ‘the ability of a person to enter into, approach, pass, to and from, and have use of any building, public place or common service without assistance of any other person’. Access should also be included in public transportation and communication services and facilities such as pavements, public roads, pedestrian crossings, phone booths and events.

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