In 2009, the long-lasting conflict between the country's two largest ethnic groups – the Sinhalese and the Tamils – finally came to an end. The Sri Lankan army and Tamil rebels from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were engaged in bitter warfare until May. Over 100,000 civilians were forced to flee from the war zone; for weeks, many had been trapped between the two fronts and were in need of international assistance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 8 to 10 percent of Sri Lanka's population – more than 1.5 million people – suffer from a disability.

Many of these people live in poverty, and are often excluded from both economic and social life. The December 2004 tsunami served to further marginalize people with disabilities. In the wake of the catastrophe, around 30 percent of people with physical disabilities are not able to leave their homes without assistance.