An accessibility related audit report has been officially handed over to the Labour Ministry Secretary, S.M. Piyatissa, by the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, Sugath Wasantha De Silva.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Piyatissa said that the group has submitted recommendations to make public spaces more inclusive for differently abled people, and that the Ministry is actively considering the recommendations in the report for future projects as well as incorporating them into existing infrastructure.

"There are several court cases in which the inclusivity of the differently abled is encouraged, and the verdict is given to make public spaces more inclusive for them. Yet, in most of the projects, these components are neglected," he said.

He added that the group had further agreed to train officers of the Labour Department in sign language. While noting that there are already five trained officers, he said that this further expands inclusivity.

"Though we recommend ramps to help those who are disabled, the ramps should also be one inch of a slope for each 12 inches. It is not just enough to have one handrail for one side; it is difficult for someone who does not have the hand on the other hand, so the staircases should have handrails for both the sides. These handrails can’t just end by the staircase. There are international standards for this. Even where the staircase starts, there should be the handrail to a certain extent; otherwise, the person might fall. The taps should be made at a distance that those in wheelchairs can reach them. There are a lot of recommendations as such." he added.

According to him, there are around 1.6 million disabled people in the country. Additionally, there are those who face temporary disabled states. Hence, according to him, it is a must to have these facilities in order to protect the dignity of each of these individuals while securing their rights.