United Nations have named year 1981 as the year of persons with disabilities, the decade from 1983 to 1992 as the United Nations’ decade for persons with disabilities and 3rd of December of every year as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities has been organizing a national celebration simultaneously with this international day from 1997 upto now and the 21st celebration was jubilantly held on Tuesday the 3rd December 2019 from 10.00 a.m. onwards at the auditorium of the National Youth Services Council, Maharagama, with the patronage of the State Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Social Security Hon. Tharaka Balasuriya,.
The theme given to this year’s international day of persons with disabilities by the United Nations is 'Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership’. In order to give a meaning to this theme, the Secretariat has organized a drama competition among the Vocational Training Institutes functioned under the Department of Social Services and an art competition under four categories among the students of special schools. A valuable prize and a certificate was given to the children who represented the winning drama group and the children won the first, second and third places under the four categories of the art competition. Apart from that, not limiting to the winners, all the drawings submitted for the competition were displayed on the sides of the auditorium on the day of celebration, giving them an opportunity to get exposed to the society.
At the beginning of the function, the children with disabilities of the Watthegama Vocational Training Institute presented the national anthem in sign language and the (Pooja Netuma) dance of worship. Children with disabilities of the Seeduwa and Kilinochchi Vocational Training Institutes presented different cultural events for the amusement of the audience. Also the song sung by Ms. Imasha Muthukumari, a blind singer and the speech delivered by Mr. Nihal Nanayakkara representing those who are intellectually disabled and unable to raise a voice or to express their feelings attracted the attention of the audiance.
The award winning Sri Lankan fashion designer and motivational speaker Mrs. Ascharya Pieris Jayakody, who was invited for the professional lecture of the event, delivered an inspiring speech explaining how she had been isolated in a dark and lonely world as a result of a bomb blast during the most jubilant stage of her life and how she was able to defeat all the obstacles along the path of success.
The disable children who got through the year five scholarship examination and G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) and those who were selected for the university education were awarded as usual for the previous years, while an electric wheel chair was given away to a child who has a disorder in his spine. A presentation about those who were successful with courage challenging their disabilities was displayed in order to inspire the audience.
The Secretariat made arrangements for a delicious lunch for all those who had participated for the event and a valuable gift for the persons with disabilities who were present for the celebration.
