Tag Archives: #EFC

People with disabilities are more likely than the general population to suffer anxiety, discomfort, and animosity. To a significant measure, such attitudes arise from a lack of understanding of disability and what it’s like to live in a world with individuals who do not share that experience. As a result, in Sri Lanka, collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre took the initiative to implement a project to provide recommendations on Disability Accessibility and Capacity Building of Local Government Authorities in Sri Lanka. The team from EFC led by Manique Gunaratne which included persons with diverse disabilities did disability accessibility checking to give recommendations at Nuwaragam Palatha Central Pradeshiya Sabha, in Anuradhapura district, in North Central Province in November 2021 to give recommendations on how to make the Nuwaragam Palatha Central Pradeshiya Sabha access for all. Two Advocacy Group Discussions were held with persons with disabilities belonging to Nuwaragam Palatha Central Pradeshiya Sabha and staff members (persons with non-disabilities) of the Pradeshiya Sabha on how to have an inclusive approach when providing services which already exists.

**Sign language interpretation at the Advocacy Group Discussion**

**Advocacy Group Discussion with Sign Language interpretation**

**Recommending accessibility for hearing impaired persons in the library**

**Recommending accessibility for hearing impaired persons in the pathway**

**Recommending wheelchair and vision-impaired accessibility at the entrance**

**Recommending accessibility for vision impaired persons in the library**

**Recommending pathway accessibility for vision impaired persons**

MANIQUE GUNARATNE
Country Representative – World Disability and Rehabilitation Professionals’ Association (WDRPA)

Women with Disabilities

BUILDING A SUPPORT NETWORK TO MITIGATE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES

February 22, 2022 Manique

Watch the Video at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1rvQJOSDU4k&feature=share

MANIQUE GUNARATNE
Manager – Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre
The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon

Rights of Persons with Disabilities

ACCESS FOR ALL AT ANURADHAPURA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

February 19, 2022 Manique

People with disabilities are more likely to suffer anxiety, discomfort, and animosity than the general population. To a significant measure, such attitudes arise from a lack of understanding of disability and what it’s like to live in a world with individuals who do not share that experience. As a result, in Sri Lanka, collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre took the initiative to implement a project on Disability Accessibility Audit and Capacity Building of Local Government Authorities in Sri Lanka. The audit team from EFC led by #Manique Gunaratne, which included persons with diverse disabilities, did a disability accessibility audit at Anuradhapura Municipal Council (MC), in Anuradhapura district, in North Central Province in November 2021 to give recommendations on how to make the Anuradhapura Municipal Council access for all.
Two Advocacy Group discussions were held with persons with disabilities belonging to Anuradhapura MC and staff members (persons with non-disabilities) of the Municipal Council on how to have an inclusive approach when providing services which already exists.

Hearing impaired person checking accessibility — **Hearing-impaired person checking accessibility**

**Checking accessibility in the library**

**Checking accessibility in the study area**

**Checking accessibility at the library**

**Checking accessibility in the pathway**

Manique Gunaratne
Member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities

Assistive Devices for Persons with Disabilities

BRAILLE EMBOSSER

February 11, 2022 Manique

Watch the Video at:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hZWFEynIIE0&feature=share

Manique Gunaratne
Manager – Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre
The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon

Women with Disabilities

MITIGATING GENDER BASED AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES

December 29, 2021 Manique

Watch the video at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=I1dhpRn74ZU&feature=share

Manique Gunaratne
Manager – Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre
The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon

Women with Disabilities

SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

December 23, 2021 Manique

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre organised a programme on Mobilizing Women Leaders with #Disabilities for Inclusive Responses to Gender-Based Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Province in February 2021. The programme was held at the Hotel Ovia in Vavuniya.

The training was conducted with a special focus on the following areas:

Discussion on the important areas to including a strategic plan during pandemics.
Conceptualizing gender-based violence through a role-play by the participants.
Preparation of an action plan on how to mitigate gender-based violence in their communities at provincial level and national level.
Introducing the ‘buddying concept’ and assigning ‘best buddies’ appropriately.
Registration of women with disabilities to the ‘Be-Safe’ mobile application.

**Conducting the session with translations**

(Honoured, Deshabandu) Manique Gunaratne
Manager – Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre
The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon

Women with Disabilities

LEO CLUB INCLUDES WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

November 9, 2021 Manique

Watch the Video at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eICe45Yx4Sw&feature=share

Manique Gunaratne
Manager – Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre

Assistive Devices for Persons with Disabilities

ASSISTIVE DEVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TO SUPPORT LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES

November 1, 2021 Manique

The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialised Training & #Disability Resource Centre trains persons with disabilities to develop their employability skills and support them in livelihood activities by providing assistive devices. The software and assistive devices unit took another initiative to sponsor a wheelchair to a wheelchair user in a very remote area in Rajanganaya in Anuradhapura district in Sri Lanka. The wheelchair was sponsored by Ms Randima Attygalle and her team. These wheelchairs are manufactured by Rehab Lanka. These wheelchairs are manufactured by persons with diverse disabilities and given to persons with disabilities to be independent in their day to day activities. Sumith met with an accident by falling from a tree and becoming a wheelchair user. With the support of this wheelchair, he will promote his livelihood activities. Sumith is an entrepreneur with a disability who manufactures coconut ikle brooms and spoons. Sumith manufactures these products at his residence. He has a small shop by the side of the main road. He uses this specially designed wheelchair to sell his products.

Manique Gunaratne
FaceBook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000521211893

Specialised Training, Women with Disabilities

INCLUSIVE RESPONSES TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

October 7, 2021 Manique

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre organised a programme on Mobilizing Women Leaders with #Disabilities for Inclusive Responses to Gender-Based Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic in North Central Province in February 2021. The programme was held at the Sahana Association for the Disabled in Anuradhapura.

Among the areas covered were:

Mechanisms behind how violence intersects with gender and disability.
Reflection on caregiver’s experience on gender-based violence faced by women with disabilities and awareness on the role and responsibilities of caregivers during pandemics.
Challenges and methods to overcome these barriers during the pandemic by women with disabilities concerning gender-based violence.
Educating on the support systems available for women with disabilities related to gender-based violence locally.

**Trainer & The Sign Language Interpreter**

**Session on the services available on GBV**

Manique Gunaratne
Web: http://www.employers.lk

Specialised Training

MICROSOFT EXCEL FOR PERSON WITH DISABILITIES

October 4, 2021 Manique

A group of persons with diverse #disabilities (vision impaired, partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing, physical disability, wheelchair users and slow learners) successfully completed a course of study in Microsoft Excel at The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre in April 2021. The training was conducted by Ms Manique Gunaratne. The target group included job seekers, school leavers, under-graduates and people who are employed.