Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Foundation for Civil Rights of Persons with Disabilities has launched a week-long advocacy campaign to promote disability rights and protection in The Gambia, in commemoration of Deaf Week. The event, aimed at amplifying advocacy for the needs of individuals with disabilities, seeks to create a more inclusive society where their rights are respected and their challenges addressed.

The campaign commenced with a symposium that brought together activists, individuals with disabilities, and their allies. The platform served as a collective voice to raise awareness and advance the rights of the disabled community. Samba Jaiteh, President of the Foundation for Civil Rights of Persons with Disabilities, emphasized the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, particularly in tertiary education institutions. He urged the government to uphold its commitments outlined in the 1997 Constitution regarding the rights of the disabled.

“We are urging the government and other stakeholders to also include or draft policies that will help to strengthen, and give access to persons with disabilities in all aspects of life,” Jaiteh stated, highlighting the need for concrete actions to support this marginalized group.

Mariama Sanyang, Communications Officer of Girls Agenda, shared her organization’s efforts to empower people with disabilities and promote their well-being. She explained that the group provides a safe space for disabled youth, particularly those hard of hearing, to engage in discussions about their lives and education.

“In this agenda also, we have a youth safe space where we invite these hard of hearing and persons with disabilities to have engagement with them on issues affecting their lives and their livelihood, most especially their education. So it’s quite important to bring these people on board, to share information with them, to make sure that they are also part of us,” Sanyang remarked.

Alex A. Manneh, the treasurer of the Foundation, called for the intervention of the National Assembly to strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities across all sectors.

“I believe all stakeholders, the government, will all start to act in solving these challenges faced by our brothers and sisters because we are saying there should be equal rights for all,” Manneh urged.

As the symposium wrapped up, advocates expressed hope that this year’s Deaf Week commemoration will significantly raise awareness about the rights and needs of people with disabilities, not only in The Gambia but beyond its borders.