Department of Social Services

Vision

"To be the Forerunner of Human Development"

Mission

To make those who are subject to disadvantaged situation in the society, active stakeholders in the national development process by providing needy services and empowering them.

Theme

We shall together build a nation of human being with merit happiness and pride

Our Values

  • Let us always render our services without hesitation.
  • Let us preserve our self – discipline.
  • Let us respect each other.
  • Let us dedicate ourselves for the needs of beneficiary without conditions.
  • Let us do today itself what should be done today.
  • Let us make the happiness of the beneficiary, as our own happiness.
  • Let us dedicate ourselves for service within the exploratory investigation.
  • Let us give a solution for every problem.
  • Let us be prepared prior to risk.
  • Let us provide creative approach for causative factors of social problems. 
  • Let us work through good governance.
  • Let us work in empathy.
  • Let us work as one family.
  • Let us provide a service based on human compassion.
  • Let us appreciate everyone’s skills.
  • Let us devote every moment for service.

Objectives

  • Ensure the equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
  • Rehabilitate the disabled persons and improve their vocational skills further and provide them with employment opportunities.
  • Ensure the economic security of the persons with disabilities and minimize the dependency mentality.
  • Early intervention for children with special needs.
  • Recognition of the sign language and its promotion.
  • Make persons with disabilities effectively participate in an independent society.
  • Develop the personality, skills and creativity as well as the physical and mental abilities of the persons with disabilities.
  • Enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of service providers for disabled persons.
  • Empower the Voluntary Organizations which provide the service to disabled persons.
  • Rehabilitate the drug addicts and integrate them in to the society.

 

Functions

  • Providing vocational training for disabled male and female youth, providing assistive devices for them, trade tools for self-employment and grooming them for open employments.
  • Identifying and broadening the job market for persons with disabilities.
  • Conducting research to identify the current needs and trends of the persons with disabilities.
  • Providing assistive devices to the persons with disabilities.
  • Referring children with special needs for interactive education through early intervention.
  • Conducting training programmes for improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the officers who provide the services.
  • Issuing special identity cards for persons with impaired hearing and providing sign language interpreter services to facilitate the routine work of the persons with hearing impairment.
  • Protection to mentally retarded boy children who do not have guardians.
  • Providing financial assistance to voluntarily organizations conducting welfare activities for disabled persons.
  • Providing medical assistance and eye lenses to persons below 60 years of age with visual   impairment to regain their eye sight.
  • Providing sports, educational & cultural assistance to the visually impaired children.
  • Residential rehabilitation for drug addicted persons
  • Providing recommendations to the charity organizations that seek the registration, recommending the relief to be obtained for water and electricity bills.
  • Providing the required services to persons with disabilities, the National Programme of Community Based Interactive Development.
  • Establishing & empowering the Swashakthi Organizations (self – reliance organizations) in divisional level.
  • Implementing various programmes through the combined approach.

 

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Related Institutions

Visually Handicapped Trust Fund

The positive commitment to thegrowth of new attitudes has been gradually arisen on the disabled persons in Sri Lanka following the declaration of 1981 as the International year of Disabled Persons (IYDP). As a sequel to this direction an Act of Parliament No 09 of 1992 to establish a fund for Visually impaired persons was passed by parliamentary of the Domestic Republic of Sri Lanka. This was published as a Gazette Notification on 6th March 1992. The Government of Sri Lanka has initiated various services in support of the disabled persons in Sri Lanka in line with this Act.

Visually Handicapped Trust fund is being implemented by the Management Committee. The secretary to the Ministry of Social Services become the chairperson-in-office until the next secretary to the Ministry will be appointed. The management committee will meet once a month. Activities of the fund are audited by the Auditor Generals’ Department and Internal Audit Division of the Ministry.

The mission of this fund is inter alia to provide services needed to persons with visual impairment, rehabilitate and provide relief. Specialty of this fund is the creation of equal opportunities to visually impaired persons and takes action in pursuance of the rules and regulations convinced by the united Nation.

Objectives

  • Provide educational and vocational training facilities to visually impaired persons.
  • Provide guidance and financial assistance for self-employment when necessary and employment opportunities for visually impaired persons.
  • Provide opportunities to follow scholarly courses and vocational training for visually impaired persons. Facilitate them with self-employments.
  • Implement the welfare schemes for the betterment of the persons with disabilities.
  • Provide marketing facilities for articles produced by visually impaired persons exercising equal right and opportunities.

Main Functions of the Visually Handicapped Trust Fund

  • Providing assistance to maintain sports activities and its development.
  • Providing assistance to education and culture activities.
  • Providing Bursary Payments to visually impaired undergraduates.
  • Providing financial assistance to visually impaired G.C.E Advance Level students.
  • Providing Eye Lenses to the low income persons.
  • Providing medical assistance for the prevention of blindness.
  • Implement rehabilitation programmes for visually impaired persons.
  • Paying consultancy allowance for conducting training on mobility and orientation.
  • Maintaining welfare center for visually impaired women.
Community Based Rehabilitation Programme (CBID)

Objective

Pursuant to the National Policy on Disabilities, empowering disabled persons with knowledge and skills to enable them to enjoy their rights and perform their duties and responsibilities in national development within the prevailing socio - economic system and creating opportunities through the ongoing social development programmes to integrate them into the society.

Activities

  • Implementing programmes for empowering persons with disabilities and their family members by equipping them with knowledge, attitudes and activities.
  • Training them through volunteers to perform their routine activities independence at home, Society, Pre – school, School, university working places and as members in the society.
  • Referring disabled children to access services including education opportunities for them through an inclusive educational system or a specialized educational system.
  • Empowering them by improving their economy status through providing employment opportunities in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and the Private Sector as well as preparing them for employments.
  • Taking action to provide vocational training through Vocational Training Institutes at regional or national level.
  • Integrating disabled persons into programmes implemented by other Ministries and Departments - such as DiviNeguma, Sports, Cultural programmes etc.
  • Making them actively participate in religious, cultural and social programmes.
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