#LibraryAccessibility | The Employers' Federation of Ceylon Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre

Negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities 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. Therefore, disability accessibility initiatives greatly support to bring a change to create an inclusive approach.

The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialised Training & #Disability Resource Centre in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU) took the initiative to implement a project to provide recommendations on Disability #Accessibility and Capacity Building of Local Government Authorities in Sri Lanka. This project is part of an initiative supported under the Capacity Development of Local Governments (CDLG) project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka with the financial assistance of the European Union (EU).

The team from EFC led by #Manique Gunaratne which included persons with diverse disabilities did an disability accessibility checking to give recommendations at Nochchiyagama Pradeshiya Sabha Library in Anuradhapura district, in North Central Province in December 2021 to give recommendations on how to make the Nochchiyagama Pradeshiya Sabha Library access for all and provided audio and e-books in May 2022 to make the Library Accessible for vision impaired persons.

CDLG is a four-year project (2020-2023) targeting the Eastern, Northern, North-Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.

Two Advocacy Group discussions were held at the Nochchiyagama Pradeshiya Sabha with persons with disabilities belonging to Nochchiyagama 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.

It is part of the European Union’s STRIDE (Strengthening Transformation, Reconciliation, and Inclusive Democratic Engagement) programme focused on strengthening the capacities of local government authorities to be inclusive, responsive, and accountable, and improve service delivery.

Together with the Capacity Development of Local Governments (CDLG) Project of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), implemented this project on Disability accessibility audit and enhancing the capacity of technical officers in the local government structure.

The EFC, with an overall vision statement to promote social harmony through productive employment, is implementing several proactive measures to encourage its members to hire people with disabilities.

The EFC is the representative employers’ Organisation in Sri Lanka on social issues.

**Handing over the audio and e-books to the Library**

**Installing the screen reader to the computer**

**Checking audio and e-books in the computer**

MANIQUE GUNARATNE
Web: www.employers.lk

Sri Lanka Technological Campus hosted its first-ever virtual international conference on Library and Information Science (VICLIS2021) in collaboration with the department of library and information science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, National Science Library, and Resource Centre of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, and the Department of Library and Information Science University of Kerala, India. The conference was held in August 2021, under the theme of ‘Challenges of Library and Information Science Profession in New Normal Context.

The VICLIS2021 aimed to bring together the Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals, researchers, and LIS students to exchange and share their experiences and research findings on all aspects of Library Science. This FREE conference also provided a premier interdisciplinary platform for 104 research presenters from over 10 countries to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Library Science.

The chief guest of the event was Mrs. Christine Mackenzie, the President of the International Federation of Library Association and Institution, IFLA. Keynote speeches were delivered by Prof.Anne Goulding, Professor of Library and Information Management, School of Information Management, Victoria University, New Zealand and Dr. Raymond Pun, President of the Asia Pacific American Librarians Association, APALA.

Ms. Manique Gunaratne Conducted the session “Library Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities”.

The Founder President and the CEO of the SLTC stated in his welcome address that the VICLIS2021 is a landmark event hosted by SLTC as this is the very first conference on Library and Information Science organized by a Non-State Higher Educational institution in Sri Lanka.

There were nine (9) technical sessions conducted under nine (9) timely sub-themes at the conference. Over 350 participants from 17 countries have participated in the conference.