Enabling differently able grown-ups : Colombo , Sri Lanka

 

      

      

         

A slight change in social stigma regarding individuals who are mentally impaired has led to certain schools opening special education centers. However, these students are lost in the world once they are too old for school. The interest of the Colombo Centre for Special Education (CCSE) lies with adults with special needs.

The Centre that enjoys a quiet existence down Layards Road, Colombo 5 is for males over 18 years who have varying degrees of mental difficulties, including Down’s Syndrome and Autism. The staff is small and the CCSE often depends on volunteers as most students need to be given individual attention.

The CCSE was founded in 1975 by Rev Celestine and Nora Roberts. The education the students receive focus more on vocational training and less on academic learning. Students are taught various skills like rug and envelope making, sewing, carpentry and art and craft. The Centre feels these are things they could sell and make a living through. The students also make various creations with recycled paper. The Christmas cards, artwork and collages done by students are for sale. The canvases used for the painting are made at the CCSE itself.

The students come from various backgrounds and the Centre finds sponsors for those who can’t afford the fees. The CCSE aims at keeping the students happy and content during their stay at the Centre and independent and self-reliant in life. Fortunately, the public is more aware today that such individuals must be treated with respect and that they too have feelings. However, few are willing to offer jobs for them and one of the biggest issues the Centre faces is finding employment for the students. Work that requires repetition like labeling and packing is ideal for the students. More awareness about the plight of these students could result in more job offers.

This is one of the aims of the annual art exhibition the Centre organizes. The exhibition will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery on June 18 from 9 am to 6.30 pm. The arts and crafts of the students will be displayed and aim at raising awareness about those who have mental limitations and their talents and skills. It will encourage both students of the Centre and other’s to make a greater effort. The exhibition will also show the world that centers like the CCSE exist and could motivate others to open such centers, especially those that focus on vocational training. The exhibition is extremely time-consuming and much effort is put into the preparation of the exhibits.The Centre would be glad to see a large crowd at the art exhibition which has been held for the past 10 years and would also be pleased by orders for the Christmas cards the students carefully created.

Source : The Nation , 2nd June 2013