Hill Country Disability Group

Support for Families of Disabled People

Q. What help is available for families of a disabled person?

National statistics show that the vast majority of disabled people are supported by their families (73.3%) and this places an increased burden on families, particularly those already struggling and in poverty.

In Sri Lanka it is government policy to promote community-level support for disabled people by sending social service workers to visit families and to try to develop community organisations for support. While we agree that enabling families to stay together and people with disabilities to live in their communities, we feel there should also be greater recognition of the triple burden of caring, earning and running a household that falls upon women. A greater level of community-level services, resources and support is required.

In rural areas, families face even greater challenges of lack of transport, inaccessibility of services and more limited options for income generation.

In Sri Lanka, there is no movement at present for independent living for people with disabilities. Accessibility for people with mobility problems is particularly difficult, even in urban areas.

Disability FAQs for Sri Lanka