How We Started

Donald's Story

In high school, I wanted nothing else but to exercise and find new ways to stay fit. But my motivation to stay fit plummeted after breaking my leg in my sophomore year. My exercise regime slowed, and I found myself struggling to complete simple tasks I took for granted. Even opening doors for myself required a concerted effort, and I struggled to find ways to be self-sufficient.

Keeping me going was the kindness and generosity of the people I surrounded myself with.

From holding a door open, to carrying supplies for me during school, my family and friends supported me through my injury, and it was this kindness that helped me through the recovery process. 

I opted to rehabilitate my leg by myself, and through the process of regaining my ability to walk, I came to a stark realization. My movement restrictions were temporary, and caused a minor inconvenience- for those living with physical disability, movement restrictions are not so transient. 

And it was also during my rehabilitation process that I learned of the state of disability advocacy in Sri Lanka. 

Socioeconomic strife compounds the stress of physical disability, and stigma contributes to the marginalization of this already disadvantaged group.

Put another way, it is not only the movement restriction that threatens livelihood, but the social, cultural, and economic implications of physical disability as well. 

As a student, I could not imagine the effects of these factors on another student’s education.

Over the following months, I founded The Motion Project as a way to provide students with physical disabilities in Sri Lanka the resources to gain a quality education and enter the workforce. Through a network of volunteers and tutors, we seek to improve academic and extracurricular involvement through specialized programs, catered towards a student’s unique needs.