Ajith Chrysantha Stephen Perera, JP, CChem., FRSC (29 February 1956 &ndash; 29 October 2020) was a Chartered Chemist by profession, a scholar, a former senior manager in industry, a qualified training instructor, also a former test-match-panel cricket umpire.
The international admiration Perera has won and the national recognition he has gained have come through his achievements, acquired both in Sri Lanka and in England in different fields: cricket, analytical chemistry and quality assurance, in all of which he was academically and professionally well qualified and widely experienced.
Almost on the eve of umpiring his first cricket test match in Colombo, Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, a large wayside tree crashed on and straddled his moving car, killing his chauffeur and leaving him instantaneously a paraplegic for life.
He was a writer, speaker, author and a disability rights activist - as a fervent advocate for inclusion of all people by design - most importantly as a widely experienced and highly competent accessibility adviser and assessor, recognised by three learned societies and several reputed bodies overseas.
He was the founder and, as of 10 June 2020, held the honorary position of Chief Executive / Secretary-General]] of Idiriya, a registered, not-for-profit humanitarian service organisation in Sri Lanka.