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Strengthening Local Governance through Disability Accessibility Audit and Advocacy at Namal Oya Pradeshiya Sabha

 The Capacity Development for #Local #Governments (#CDLG) Project of #UNDP Sri Lanka is part of larger efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen the local governance system in the country. 

These efforts are supported by the #European #Union, and the #World #Bank.

#Disability #inclusion is one of the key strategic priorities for #UNDP Sri Lanka in keeping with the commitment of UNDP globally and the new initiatives of disability #inclusion strategy and their commitment to leave no one behind.

A team led by #Manique Gunaratne did a #disability #accessibility #audit and a #advocacy group discussion with persons with disabilities belonging to #Namal Oya 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 at the Namal Oya Pradeshiya Sabha in #Ampara district in Eastern Province in October 2022. 

#UNDP acknowledges the fact that disability is a crosscutting issue which needs multi-stakeholder intervention including local government authorities.

#Local #Governments play a vital role in the lives of people with disabilities because of their broad mandate. 

Unlike most state government institutions, Local Governments are multi-functional, with extensive responsibilities and activities across property, community, and human service areas and, in addition, have the capacity to make policy level decisions at the local level.

All these functions and decisions directly or indirectly impact upon the quality of life of the people with disabilities who live, work, and socialize in their local communities.

Therefore, #CDLG through this initiative seeks to enhance the internal capacity of local authorities to adhere to disability accessibility regulations in Sri Lanka and raise the awareness on the importance of #disability #inclusive accessibility to local level services.

This initiative seeks to conduct accessibility audits in selected local government authority office premises amongst other activities.

We are confident that this initiative promoted by the UNDP will improve the #accessibility of persons with disabilities to #local #governance. 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) selected The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon as the implementing partner for the project.


A group of eight adults, consisting of five men and three women, are standing and posing for a photo in front of a building entrance. One man is seated in a wheelchair at the center of the group. They are all dressed in business or formal attire, with most wearing name badges on blue lanyards around their necks, suggesting a professional or official context, such as a workplace or a conference. The building behind them has glass doors, large windows, and a tiled floor, and a sign above the door reads "2022". The group is standing on a mat outside the entrance, and there are columns and some plants visible at the sides. The mood appears professional and cordial.

A modern two-story building with a sign at the top reading "Pradeshiya Sabha Namaloya" in three languages. The building has white walls with light blue vertical accents and features symmetrical cylindrical extensions on both sides. There are several vehicles parked in front, including a white pickup truck, a tractor on the left, and a dark pickup truck on the right. Some green trees and potted plants are visible in front of the building, and a few people can be seen near the right side, one standing near the dark vehicle. The sky above is overcast with gray clouds. The image also has a watermark at the bottom left corner that says "HUAWEI P30 lite TRIPLE CAMERA."

Bathroom scene with two people. A man in a striped shirt and black trousers is bending down, examining or measuring something near a white pedestal sink, while a woman in a green sari and purple scarf holds a yellow measuring tape vertically next to the sink. There is a small mirror with a pink frame above the sink, and the wall tiles are a light beige color. The photo was taken with a Huawei P30 Lite, as indicated by the watermark in the lower left corner.

A small meeting room with several people seated and facing a table at the front, where two people are seated behind a desk covered with a red cloth. The person on the left behind the desk is a man in a white shirt, and the person on the right is a woman wearing a sari, sitting in front of a laptop and looking at the man, smiling. There is a Sri Lankan flag behind them and a shelf with books and files. On the left side of the image, there is a banner that reads "SPECIALISED TRAINING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE." The audience, made up of both men and women, is seated in plastic chairs, facing the speakers. The setting appears to be a formal or official discussion or meeting, possibly related to disability resources or support.


#Kishara #Manique Gunaratne

E-mail – maniqueg@empfed.lk     manique.g@gmail.com   


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