1. Including the ‘excluded’: Integrating People with Disabilities into the Mainstream Society Symposium on Exploring Disability: Towards an Inclusive Society Organised by Department of Sociology University of Colombo
Upali Pannilage Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Ruhuna

2. Outline of the Presentation
Introduction
Social Exclusion
People with Disabilities
Interventions on PWDs
Discussion
Conclusions

3. Introduction
This paper has examined reasons for social exclusion of people with disabilities in contemporary Sri Lankan society
The presentation is based on a study conducted to find out factors contributes for excluding people with disabilities in the society.
Primary data was collected using qualitative techniques ( interviews, discussions, observations) from a sample of people with disabilities, their family members, relatives and key officials in Ampara district.

4. Introduction..
The sample which was selected using simple random method from 06 DSs in Ampara district included 208 disabled ( out of 778) and their families, 12 government Officials and 06 non government sector Officials who are dealing on the provision of services to PWDs
117 ( 56.3%) were female , limited to physical disability and no information on mental disability
The study has extensively used secondary data as well

5. Nature of disability of the sample population

6. Social exclusion
Social exclusion means ..the inability to participate effectively in economic, social, political and cultural life and in some characterizations alienation and distance from mainstream society (Duffy, 1995)

7. Social exclusion
Social exclusion is a complex and multi-dimensional process. It involves the lack or denial of resources, rights, goods and services, and the inability to participate in the normal relationships and activities, available to the majority of people in economic, social, cultural or political arenas. It affects both the quality of life of individuals and the equity and cohesion of society as a whole
(Ruth et al, 2007)

8. Social exclusion From rights based perspective…
Social exclusion is a dynamic process of being shut out, fully or partially, from any of the social, economic, political or cultural systems which determine the social integration of a person in society. Social exclusion may, therefore, be seen as the denial (or non-realization) of the civil and political rights of citizenship
(Walker and Walker, 1997)

9. Disability
Understanding disability has undergone some radical changes over the last few decades.
In the 1970s, disability was viewed as a personal or medical problem confined to the individual concerned.
The medical model views disability as a consequence of disease/illness which needs medical care in the form of individual treatment.

10. WHO definition
The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH), provides a conceptual framework for disability which is described in three dimensions-impairment, disability and handicap:
-Impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function (Organ level)
- a disability is any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being (Person level)
- See more at:

11. WHO definition
- a handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability, that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal for that individual (Society level).
(WHO/ICIDH,1981)
WHO ( 2012) has introduced new definition covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions

12. WHO definition
Handicap-focuses on the person as a social being and reflects the interaction with and adaptation to the person's surroundings. - Environmental factors are those that lie outside the individual and ’make up the physical, social and attitudinal environment in which people live and conduct their lives’. These in turn are influenced by cultural and religious practices and beliefs.
See more at:

13. Social Model of Disability
The social model on disability is a completely different way of thinking about disability. It understands disability as a socially constructed phenomenon.
The problem ( if any) is not within the individual; they felt that it was the social environment in which they live that disables them.

14. Key factors that influenced
Personal factors -Personal factors are those that are associated with the individual’s age, gender, health condition, personality, lifestyle, experience and so on, and have an influence on how the individual responds to the disability.

15. Key factors
Social factors -Social factors include the attitudes of other individuals and of society that perceive those who have disability as being ’different’ people.
Cultural factors -Cultural factors include the many superstitions that have pervaded communities, such as associating disability and individuals who have disability with misfortune and perceiving them as signs of bad luck.

16. Interventions on disabled in Sri Lanka
There are two common approaches that provides services to the PWDs
1) Institutional Based Rehabilitation(IBR)
2) Community Based Rehabilitation(CBR)
According to the Government’s data in 2001, there were around 1.6% people with disabilities in Sri Lanka (UNESCAP (2003) says there are 7% of disabled in Sri Lanka, According to WHO this figure is 5%).

17. IBR PWDs are place in specific institutions ( eg home for disabled)
Medical treatments ( medical modal)
There are no any opportunities for PWDs to interact with other members of the society
Hence, they feel isolated from the mainstream society

18. CBR
CBR is a strategy within general community development for rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities and social inclusion of all people with disabilities
CBR has advantages as it provide opportunities for PWDs to interact with others in the society
PWDs are considered as part of the mainstream society

19. Approaches to Rehabilitation
Source: S Goel. An Introduction to Community Based Rehabilitation Continuing Medical Education. The Internet Journal of Health Volume 6 Number 2.

20. Integrating in work places??
As per the study findings many employers show their interest to employ disabled people but they are not prepared to provide any infrastructure facilities ( eg accessibility, sanitation ) at their work premises for PWDs.
..” we can recruit them on temporary basis at low rates ( wages).. but can’t provide special facilities for them…”
“ but if recruited they will not come to the work on regular basis due to their disabilities ( KIIs-01, ).

21. Integrating in work places??
“.. already considered about services for PWDs as its compulsory in our institution. Even we have taken steps to change minimum qualifications of PWDs to apply for our services”.
“..But, problem is our staff don’t know about disabled who wants services . … other problem is lack of facilities for PWDs at our institute ( KIIs-04, 2012)

22. Government services
-62.5% of sample population receive Samurdhi -15.9% receive government public assistance through divisional secretariats.
However, Samurdhi assistants are not due to the disability - it is due to the economic poverty of the families of people with disabilities.
Hence, it was revealed that only 15.9% of the sample of this study received some sort of government welfare facilities as they being a disabled person.

23. Actual scenario
The study revealed that 83% have access to the radio and 67% to television, only 32% have access to newspapers.
6% have the opportunity of deriving enjoyment from musical shows, concerts, cinema and other forms of entertainment.
33% never go out with the rest of the family and the same proportion have never been to a wedding, nor have they taken part in community activities and festivals.
Only 21% take part in religious activities in their life. Only 14% had taken part in any kind of sports, and this had been almost wholly at school and village level.

24. Attitude of family members
“..we are prepared to look after as she is one of our family members”
“.. but the problem is we don’t have any one at home to look after”
“..he is not listening to others, difficult to control in most of the time..”
“… no need to send to school/ education as he is not in a position to do a job..” ..
“..not possible to send her to school as there is no teacher/ facilities at the nearby school for PWDs

25. Attitude of the society
“ our family has been labeled as a bad family in the village..”
“ we have a daughter ( non disabled) now she is 38, but still couldn't find a partner….. no one is willing to marry her as we have a disabled son..”
“..how can he go and play cricket with others..”

26. Conclusions
In the contemporary Sri Lankan society, PWDs have been considerably excluded due to many reasons.
Some of those reasons include
- social attitudes towards them,
-lack of understanding in society on the ways and means of including the people with disabilities into the society,
- Inadequate services, knowledge and skills of government and others for integrating PWDs.

27. Conclusions
The attitudes of individuals and society that perceive those who have disability as being ’different’ people;
-they do not see them as equal human beings with the same rights and responsibilities;
-they do not make available to them the same opportunities available to other persons;
- that excludes them from the social mainstream because of their disability.

28. Conclusions
The services available for integrating PWDs in the society are not sufficient
The available services for PWDs are not appropriate ( eg,IBR) in terms of integrating them in the mainstream society.
Integrating PWDs into the mainstream society largely depends on integrating them in to basic social institutions especially
- Family – Education- Economy

29. Finally,
“Mainstreaming a (disability) perspective is the process of assessing the implications for [disabled persons] of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programmes, in all areas and at all levels.
It is a strategy for making (disabled persons’) concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that [people with disabilities] benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.
The ultimate goal is to achieve (disability) equality.” (Miller 2005, p -10)

30. Thank you….