ADDRESING THE PROBLEMS OF PHYSICALLY DISABLED IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY

1. ADDRESING THE PROBLEMS
OF PHYSICALLY DISABLED IN
THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY
Ajith Jayatissa
jaytissa@rediffmail.com

2. Person with disability means; any person
who, as a result of any deficiency in his
physical or mental capabilities, whether
congenital or not, is unable by himself to
ensure for himself, wholly or partly, the
necessities of life".
Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act – Sri Lanka

3. Categories of disability
Disability in Seeing Totally Blind
One eye blind
Weak vision
Disability in Hearing/Speaking Dumb; Deaf; Dumb and Deaf; Speaking difficulties
Disability in Hands Loss of one hand including elbow
Loss of both hands including elbows
Loss of one hand below elbows
Loss of both hands below elbows
Paralysis of one hand
Paralysis of both hands
Other disability in one hand
Other disability in both hands
Disability in Legs Loss of one legs including knee
Loss of both legs including knees
Loss of one leg below knee
Loss of both legs below knees
Paralysis of one leg
Paralysis of both legs
Other disability in one leg
Other disability in both legs
Other Physical Disability
Mental Disability Mentally retarded
Psychosis
Reference: 2001 Census of Population and Housing in Sri Lanka

4. Reference: Census of Population and Housing 2001 – Sri Lanka
TOTAL NUMBER
2,74,711
MALE
1,58,446
FEMALE
1,16,265
50%
29%
21% Toal disabled
population
Male
Female
DISABLED POPULATION IN SRI LANKA

5. Type of
disability Disability
in seeing
Disability in
hearing/
speaking
Disability
in
hands
Disability
in legs
Other
physical
Total 69096 73343 48131 90576 13275
Male 35419 40584 31070 56529 7344
Female 33677 32759 17061 34047 5931
Table 1: Census of Population and Housing 2001 – Sri Lanka/ Disabled persons by sex

6. CONSIDERING DISABLEDCONSIDERING DISABLED
PERSON FOR AN EMPLOYMENTPERSON FOR AN EMPLOYMENT
People with disabilities have a right to
• Employment opportunities
• Equality of treatment
• Decent productive jobs
Ensured that maximum benefits to employer as
well as equitable opportunities for the worker
could be achieved

7. Employers must not discriminate against any disabled person
when recruiting.
This includes:
• in the job specification
• in the design and completion of application forms
• in the selection process (including interview timing and location)
• in the assessment technique
• in the terms of employment offered.
Employers must not discriminate against any disabled person appointed to a
job.
This includes:
• in terms and conditions of service
• in induction arrangements
• in opportunities for promotion, transfer, training or receiving any
other benefit, or refusal of such opportunities
• in occupational pensions.[i]
•
[i] http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/page/6/92/

8. METHODS TO
ADJUST THE WORK
ENVIRONMENT

9. Accessibility
Research in field of rehabilitation of persons with a disability
has identified five environmental characteristics:
Accessibility - can you get to where you want to go?
Accommodation - can you do what you want to do?
Resource Availability - are your special needs met?
Social Support - are you accepted by those around you?
Equality - are you treated equally with others? [i]
[i]http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disacc.htm#_edn16

10. Shop floor or workplace
No special requirements unless you employ a
wheel chair bound personnel.
Has restrictions to move their wheelchair
through compact production lines.
Main hindrance would be cut components or
haphazard arrangement of bins and machines.
Proper layouts of production lines and
placement of such workers near to the walking
path is the possible solution.

11. walking path
Production line 1
Production line 2
In the
shadow area
can place
wheelchair
bound
persons
walking path

12. Spaces
• Extra space can be allowed for such
workers without disturbing to the general
layout. This extra space is in between his
own machine and the rear machine and it
should be 3 to 6 inches

13. Floor surface
Most of the factories in Sri Lanka have a
cement floor. High standard factories may be
consisting of floor tiles or PVC carpets.
Undulating surfaces and slippery floors are not
expected.

14. SUMMERY OF BASIC
PROBLEMS FACED BY
DISABLED PEOPLE AND
SOLUTIONS RELATING TO
THE FACTORY LAYOUT

15. Wheelchair holders
• Overcoming differences in
level Between road and
pavement
• Bridging great differences in
height Usually tackled by
providing stairs
• Maneuvering in tight spaces
• Passing through Opening and
over high thresholds narrow
door
• Reaching high mounted
controls and objects
• Maneuvering in rest rooms
• Install curb ramps
• Provide ramps, wide elevator
cabs or platform lifts
• Provide wide routes and spaces
• Provide sufficient wide door
opening with low beveled
thresholds or none at all
• provide low mounted controls
• Install grab tub and shower
seats

16. People with limited walking ability
• Overcoming differences in level
• Maneuvering in situations
requiring speed
• Climbing stairs and ramps
• Maneuvering in rest rooms
• Passing through narrow door
over high thresholds
• Providing curb ramps, elevators
or platform lifts
• Increase the pedestrian
crossing time interval , Increase
the opening interval of elevator
and automatic doors
• Provide handrail for gripping
• Provide sufficiently wide rest
rooms, Provide grab bars, bath
tubs and a shower seat
• Provide sufficient wide door
opening and with low beveled
thresholds or none at all

17. People with limited use of hands or arms
• Opening heavy doors
• Gripping door knobs
• Gripping faucets
• Use automatic or easy
to open doors
• Use lever type door
handle
• Use lever type or push
buttons faucets

18. TYPE OF PHYSICAL
DISABILITY AND METHODS
TO ADJUST THEM TO THE
WORK ENVIRONMENT

19. Right leg amputees (below knee)
Generally all persons have their commensurate hand or leg,
which can perform better than other side of the limbs. If a
person’s right leg is amputated it is easy to employ such persons
for industrial machines with induction motors and over lock
machines. Over lock machine has a clutch motor. There are two
treadles and one is for foot control and other for speed control.
Right treadle is to control foot raising and lowering, which could
even, operated by the artificial limbs. This task is very simple.
Treadle controlled by the left leg is to accelerate the speed of the
machine. Comparative it is easy to control this kind of machines
than clutch machines.
Right leg amputees are employed in single needle
machines where they have to use their right thigh to operate
knee lifer of the machine. Only thing is time required to train such
operator is comparatively high. It may be four months to one year
to acquire acceptable level of efficiency.

20. Left leg amputees (below knee)
Left leg amputees are not difficult to
employ in all types of machines as we
assume that their right leg is much used.

21. Above knee amputees right or left legs
• Accessibility of such disabled personnel is
restricted comparatively to below knee
amputees. Another problem of such person is
bending mechanism of the hinge at the knee is
operated by a switch. Therefore such persons
should be instructed to remove their limbs and
sit on a chair to work as machine operators. Side
of the knee lifter has to be changed according to
the amputated leg. This could be done using a
simple mechanism

22. Hand amputees
• The amputees who have their limb up to
the elbow and below can be utilized as
helpers in the clothing industry.
Trimming and marking jobs can be done
easily. Required assistance is to be
incorporated with the artificial limb and
the attachments

23. Finger amputees
• Such person’s ability is different
due to the level of amputation and
the number of fingers amputated
and the type of the finger.

24. Other Disabilities of Limbs due to
Muscle Weaknesses
Different level of movement restrictions could be seen
at disabled personnel. There are also people with
complicated disabilities. As an example such people
may be having amputation as well as muscle
weakness of hand or other available leg. Hence nerve
damages and muscle weakness may be restrict the
lifting power force, stretching or bending ability.
Level of muscle strength can be measured by
using modern technology. But in the employment
aspects of such personnel in clothing industry is totally
different as expected. Since all these jobs require less
strength but depend on the skill level.

25. FACILITATE DISABILITY THROUGH
AUTOMATION
Automation is not a new term when considering the garment
industry. From pedal operated machines in the 60s, the
industry moved on to power-operated machines and steam
presses in the mid 80s, started assembly line manufacturing in
the late 80s and then entered the phase of using computerized
machines.[i]
The industry saw a rapid change with the introduction of
computerization in the garment industry. Automated machines
for cutting, sewing, button-holes, CAD/CAM for pattern making
etc, have brought down the cost of production considerably
too.
Automation also helped the disabled people to work in the
garment industry. Following chart indicates the type of
disability and how the new technology is helping in the
clothing industry to overcome it.
[i] http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=33533

26. Left Leg amputee below Knee
• Operator use his
Right Leg
• Machine type
– All machines
• Single needle lockstitch
• Double needle lockstitch
• Standard machines
can be used

27. Left Leg amputee below Knee
• Over lock machines • Foot lifting
use solanide switch
sensor
(Left leg knee level)

28. Left Leg amputee below Knee
• If unable to use
Right Leg
Machine type
• Button Attach
• Bartack
• Operating device
combined to Right or
Left hand elbow by a
touch switch
• Machine start function
given to Left Leg
Knee level or Right
Hand Elbow level

29. Left Leg amputee below Knee
• Foot lifting
– Right leg
• Start the machine
– Left leg
• Machine
• Button attach
• Bartack
• Operate the machine
using a sensor switch
near the right elbow
or near right hand
level

31. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• If operator use left leg
• Machine type
– Single needle lock
stitch
• Knee lifter shifted
• Use cable & pulley to
modify and operate
existing knee lifter
from left leg

32. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• Right Leg with
artificial leg
• Machine type
– Single needle lock
stitch
• Computerized panel
machine with pre set
speed and number of
stitches
Pocket Flap Attach

33. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• Left Leg for treadle
control & Right Knee
for machine foot lifting
• Machine type
– Overlock machine
• Convert Right Leg
operating treadle to
available left leg
machine tool lifting.
Solanide switch fixed
to the foot lifting
cable.

34. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• Left leg for machine
clamp lifting Knee of
the Right Leg to
operate the machine
• Change treadles for
two senses
separately by using
mechanical and
electrical solanide
switch

35. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• Using artificial limb
• Machine type
– Computer controlled
cycle machine
• Total function pre set
& controlled by gig set

36. Right Leg amputee below Knee
• Right Leg is
incapacitated & out of
control with his
artificial limb
• Machine type
– Computer controlled
cycle machine
(AMS 2100)
• Machine start
providing solanide
switch near the right
elbow.

38. 1st
& 2nd
finger amputees
(Right or Left Hand)
• This level of disability is
more crucial as he lost
his main grip
• Machine type
– Single needle lockstitch
– Bartack machine
– Flat lock machine
– Special Belt Loop making
machine
• Computerized machine
with pre set number of
stitches
• Computerized machine
with a clamp device
• Folder, Looping given to
the machine with roll form

39. Injury on Right/Left Elbow
• Restrictions of
stretching hand
• Machine type
– Button attach • Button attachment
with a feeder

41. Injury on shoulder
• Can not lift weight. Low
bulk garment or
components should be
selected
• Machine type
– All type of machines
• Short distance railing on
the opposite side for
components pick up and
disposing
• Provide pneumatically
operated component
disposal system
• Pneumatic edge guide

42. Restrictions of disability at the Wrist
• Study impair during
the training
• Machine type
– Overlock machine
– Single needle
lockstitch
• Pneumatically
operated clamp
device which hold two
plices and feed to the
machine.