Financial Times

Giving the disabled a chance
Wheelchair users are a productive force
By Quintus Perera
More than 10 percent of Sri Lanka's population, reaching nearly two million people are confined to wheelchairs with mobility restrictions but at least 75 percent of them are talented, productive and can enhance the country's growth and economy-if given half the chance that normal people have. This is the message that Dr Ajith S. Perera, a wheelchair user himself but a man of many talents, is driving into Sri Lanka's business community.

Using his skills as a qualified chemist, test cricket umpire, writer, training instructor and a presenter, Dr. Perera wants to carry the flag of hope for hundreds of wheelchair users who can contribute immensely to a company and ultimately the country's growth if considered as a productive force.

"The business community regretfully is doing nothing to unlock and utilise the vast hidden potential and the expertise of those using wheelchairs like myself. If opportunities are given to this group of deserving citizens on merit - and I stress on merit - more than half a million people will be productive and to a large extent arrest the grave social problem of such people being dependent on the state which the country cannot afford," he told The Sunday FT in an interview.

Dr Perera drove home this message when he made a presentation recently on "Enhancing Your Power of Selling" at the annual national Sales Congress (NASCO) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) in Colombo where over 150 high flying top sales achievers in the country were recognized and felicitated.

Dr Perera, confined to a wheelchair due to a freak accident in 1992, told the audience about efforts by the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) - together with the ILO - to provide some sunshine to the disabled by the provision of jobs in the private sector.

At a EFC job fair for the disabled last year, one of the directors of a factory who employed more than 35 disabled persons noted that "the efficiency of the disabled persons was double that of the average normal worker."

At this job fair more than 80 disabled people were interviewed and selected for appointments in the private sector, he said citing examples on ways the disabled could be gainfully employed - if they were given a decent chance by society.

Dr Perera studied at Royal College and then joined the University of Colombo where he completed his B.Sc (Hons) and the Master of Science Degree in Analytical Chemistry. Besides qualifying as a Chartered Analytical Chemist he also gained professional qualifications as a 'Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemists (Lon.) (FRSC).

He worked as a senior manager (Director, Quality Assurance) at two top companies before a tree fell on his car, killed his driver and permanently confined him to the wheelchair. The unfortunate accident also occurred just a few days before he was preparing to umpire the test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in November 1992.

Now he is honing his skills to promote the wellbeing and the ability of thousands of fellow-disabled persons on wheelchairs who have become a group without a voice.

"They are tagged as 'people with disabilities or 'handicapped people' or since lately as 'differently able'. My endeavour is to win opportunities similarly to what I was given today, for all the other fellow wheelchair users, not for charity but purely on merit because they are capable just like myself," Dr Perera told the audience of sales specialists, using state of the art communication technology like the computer and the over-head projector - like any other normal person - to drive home his message.

He praised SLIM for providing him an opportunity to display his talents. "If the authorities and other concerned parties, like service clubs which proclaim to be doing a service to the disabled give serious thought to employing this group of people, that would go a long way in helping this group and also showing that they (clubs) are sincere about their work in society and helping the disadvantaged," he added.

Dr Perera also lamented about the lack of facilities for wheelchair users in public places like banks, offices, supermarkets, etc. "The greatest asset for any person is the freedom to attend independently to vital day-to-day living activities such as gainful employment, shopping and marketing, banking, recreation and travel, identified as 'self-independence'. But all wheelchair users in Sri Lanka are denied this basic human right causing isolation, marginalization and poverty, contributing to social unrest."

He said neither a bank, hotel, government office, supermarket nor other market place provides at least a ramp for the wheelchair user which should be made mandatory when these places are under construction. Dr Perera can be reached at Tel: 2739684 for further information.

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