The view of the entrance to Ayati
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| Taniya Arsakulasuriya |
By Manjula D. Phillips
According to the World Health Organisation, sixteen percent of the world’s population – at least 1.3 billion people, have some form of disability, whether by birth or developed later in life. Children (aged 0 to 17) with disabilities, which account for 240 million of all disabled people worldwide, are among the most marginalised people in every society. They lack many things including their fundamental rights from the very early stages of their life, especially if affected by the poverty.
But in Sri Lanka, the Ayati Foundation is there to help children with disabilities.
This Foundation is jointly established and operated by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Hemas Holdings PLC, and MAS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, the Roshan Wijerama Foundation, Sri Lanka Army and Rotary International. The centre has been in operation since 2020. As a unique public–private–academic initiative, Ayati is dedicated to raising the standard of diagnosis, care, and rehabilitation for children with disabilities across the country.
According to Ayati Foundation, it is reported that one in five children in Sri Lanka is suffering from some kind of disability. But it’s a condition which, if identified and diagnosed in early stages with continuous intervention and care, provides disabled children with an opportunity to lead an optimal level of life. It is a major responsibility of our society, including the government, to raise the quality of life of those hampered by disabilities.
Ayati Foundation provides Medical and Clinical services free of charge. Rehabilitation Devices are provided partially free of charge, as these are provided by outside specialists. Devices such as Orthosis devices (Ankle Foot Orthosis-brace worn below the knee to foot) are produced by the P&O (Prosthetic and Orthotic) clinic in house; therefore, it can be provided free of charge.
Hearing Aids are given free of charge, since Ayati is having stocks of donated hearing aids and a standard process to procure hearing aid devices with potential funding donors. However, since the services of earmold preparation and servicing of hearing aids are provided by outside parties, the patients have to pay for these.
In the same way, the customised self-propelled wheelchairs, posterior walkers, standing frames etc. and customised designs are provided by the P&O clinic free of Charge. However, patients have to pay for their production, as this service is provided by an outside party.
It also plays a role in changing the public perception about the abilities and potential of these children, eliminating the stigma associated with disability, working to extend the services to rural areas of Sri Lanka in the long term.
Ayati, which means hope in Sanskrit, is Sri Lanka’s only national centre dedicated to children with disabilities. With one in five children in Sri Lanka affected by some form of disability, Ayati foundation has been playing a vital role in setting new standards of support for disabled children since 2020, making it clear that this is a shared national responsibility of all Sri Lankans.
Many children risk exclusion from education and other opportunities due to the untimely diagnosis and intervention of the disability, and Ayati provides accessible, multidisciplinary care being a solution to these conditions.
It provides comprehensive clinical care which includes initial screening by medical professionals followed by intervention such as speech and language therapy, audiology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and family counselling. It also has a wide range of specialised facilities such as a state-of-the art audiology unit, the first sensory room located in the country and advanced rehabilitation facilities. It also serves as a multi-disciplinary training centre and as a research hub used by 200 undergraduates for clinical training. It also provides training for paediatricians, nurses, parents, caregivers and teachers in terms of improving national disability care.
Shanika Ruwankumari
Since its opening, more than 14,000 children and families are being supported by Ayati with a multidisciplinary team of specialists providing complete care for both physical and mental disabilities. It has a family–centered approach empowering parents and caregivers to support children’s development.
If disability is identified and diagnosed in the early stages with continuous interventions, the children can be provided with an opportunity to lead an optimal level of life. The Ayati foundation welcomes all the children with disabilities as soon as they get diagnosed for the treatment and care across the country. They should be under 18 years of age.
Taniya Arsakulasuriya, a mother from Negombo, shared her story with the daily mirror during a visit to the Ayati Foundation recently.
“My child’s name is Aanya Fernando. She is six years old. I have had everything in life perfectly. But I gave birth to a child with special needs. We were totally down mentally. My husband and I were even discussing suicide with our child because of what happened to us. But later, we made up our minds to be positive. In 2019, I came to know about Ayati. Since then, we get an immense amount of support from the Foundation. They have a very understanding, supportive system. The respect they have shown to us is enough to motivate us as parents. Because of Ayati, we have built a parent supportive group and a community among the parents where we feel for each other.”
Shanika Ruwankumari, a teacher by profession, shared her experience.
“My child’s name is Nishali Angeli, and she is 8 years of age now. She was born pre maturely. Ever since I came to know that she is a child with special needs, I tried to study on the subjects relevant to disability. I want to be a resource to some other mother who will be going through the same agony. We get a huge amount of support from Ayati with the services of both local and foreign specialist doctors. Ayati is the reason for the success we had in raising our child this far. “
Ayati Foundation is urgently requiring an amount of 30 million rupees for renovations and upgrades needed to ensure these children can continue to access world class facilities and rehabilitation. The Ayati Foundation encourages the corporate sector to contribute through CSR partnerships and sponsorships while individuals can contribute to the Foundation by using the following bank account details.
Anyone can reach Ayati for any further clarification @Ayati Trust Sri Lanka, Ayati National Centre for Children with disabilities, Faculty of Medicine University of Kelaniya, Ragama.Tel 0117878501/Email –info@ayatisrilanka.org