“There are many people who, despite their disabilities, have succeeded in life. I am one such person from Medawachchiya – Walpola. I have received numerous awards and achievements in over 25 instances and have been able to work as an acceptance officer at the educational office. Therefore, first and foremost, we need to develop an understanding of the disabled community that is not based on misconceptions.”

When discussing civil rights, the disabled community is a segment that should be given serious attention. Often, the discussion, even on the political stage, revolves only around temporary solutions like grants and benefits provided to them. However, there is a strong need for a long-term plan that recognizes their skills and helps them build their future, rather than leaving them as a dependent, marginalized community. Upul Ranjith is a person with a severe disability but serves as an acceptance officer at the Homagama Educational Office. This article was prepared based on a special program done with Lahiru Mudalige for Hari tv

Ranjith, let’s start with you. How’s life?

To give a short answer, previously, I appeared on a program as a young man. Today, I’m here as a respected husband and father. I’m leading a beautiful life with my child and wife.

When we talk about civil rights, what are the rights and feelings of the disabled community as someone representing them?

The concept of the disabled community is often misunderstood. Many people think that when we talk about disabled individuals, it means people who are completely incapable of doing anything. However, if we look beyond the superficial and examine various disabilities, we meet people with visual impairments, hearing impairments, complete disabilities, and mental disabilities. Yet, being disabled doesn’t mean being incapable of anything. Sometimes, people with no disabilities might lack certain abilities that disabled individuals possess. There are many people who, despite their disabilities, have succeeded in life. I am one such person from Medawachchiya – Walpola. I have received numerous awards and achievements in over 25 instances and have been able to work as an acceptance officer at the educational office. Therefore, first and foremost, we need to develop an understanding of the disabled community that is not based on misconceptions.

Considering the successes achieved so far, what are the challenges faced by the disabled community in this society?

There are significant challenges. From a young age, I’ve heard that our country is developing. But other countries in the world have completed their development. Take a small example, the term ‘disabled’. When a construction worker builds a building, they need to consider how a disabled person can access the building. If we think about it from the perspective of someone without a disability, it may seem that there are no disabilities. But if we think about it from the perspective of someone with a disability, they have challenges too. In our society, we encounter disabled individuals everywhere. I also drive a rented three-wheeler in addition to my job. When I do that, I see people without disabilities pretending to be disabled and begging on the streets. At that moment, I feel that society is benefiting more from us than we are from society. We need to overcome these challenges ourselves and be our own heroes. Challenges are not that big.

What are your experiences with the challenges faced by the disabled community in their daily life?

Disabled people often do self-employment. Otherwise, they choose a skill as a livelihood, like singing or dancing. There are also those who paint and sell their work at offices and other places to make a living. Our disabled community is also encouraged by society to engage in charity work. However, instead of merely encouraging them to engage in charity work, I would like to tell society to help our people earn a living through their skills. For example, instead of giving a sign language interpreter to someone who can’t hear, give them a job where they can interact with others. We need both a salary and satisfaction from our work. We too can contribute to the development of this country. I wish to see my community enjoying the happiness I receive from my government job.

What is your opinion on the opportunities available to the disabled community in Sri Lanka for government jobs?

There are many opportunities, but our community is not aware of them. Society does not support creating awareness about these opportunities. There was a program under the multi-task proposal that provided a hundred thousand jobs, which benefited many people. However, during such interviews, if our people are evaluated based on their perceived ability to perform the job, what happens? Often, non-disabled individuals are rated higher for the same job. The opportunity for a disabled person to participate in an interview conducted by someone else with a disability is often lacking. This is why our opportunities are reduced.

Is the situation similar in the private sector?

The private sector offers more opportunities than government institutions. This is because the private sector knows that we provide better service than the salary we are paid. There is often a fear of disabled individuals in both government and private sectors. When we work somewhere, the extraordinary skills we possess often overshadow the perceived disabilities. Although it is said that 3% of jobs should be allocated to the disabled community, this is not effectively implemented due to these reasons. We seek suitable job opportunities for disabled individuals. Then, they will not be a burden to anyone, and the practice of merely giving them something to keep them occupied will be reduced.

How are the vocational training opportunities for disabled individuals?

Vocational training opportunities exist. Our people get job opportunities after receiving such training. I also received advanced IT training from Medawachchiya. However, not everyone has easy access to such opportunities. Disabled individuals should be provided with more accessible opportunities to develop their skills to a vocational level. As far as I know, there is no proper institution for this. There is a saying, ‘One person can only be one thing in the world.’ But disabled individuals are born with many skills in addition to their disability. Subjects like beauty are naturally suited to them. They have good endurance. Unfortunately, when a disabled person is born into a family, there is fear. The majority of society, including parents and teachers, confines the disabled to a bed. Instead of just giving them goods and taking selfies for social media, if we recognize their skills and help them lead an independent life, we would not need to talk about this today. I urge our beloved community not to confine their lives to a bed. We do not need rewards. We have extraordinary skills. It is up to us to decide whether we will use those skills or remain stagnant.