Binendri Perera

This report is based on a case study that analyses the experiences of thirty two
persons with disabilities. The research team chose the interviewees to reflect
various ethno religious groups of Sri Lanka, genders, and economic and
social conditions from all nine provinces. The report explores how persons
with disabilities were affected by the Sri Lankan government’s response
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The narratives of the interviewees reveal that
persons with disabilities face systemic discrimination in every aspect of
their daily lives, and such marginalization was drastically exacerbated by
the pandemic response. The poverty that persons with disabilities and their
families suffered worsened as a result of the recurrent crises. The report
concludes that the state must initiate urgent and long-term actions to uphold
the rights of persons with disabilities.