Law enforcement officers, legal practitioners trained on disability rights

Organized by the Gambia Federation of Disabled and sponsored by the UNDP, the training was meant to equip the participants with critical understanding of disability as a human right issue, as well as arm them with skills on how to identify and deal with disability rights dimension of their work.

The training is further aimed at educating and raising awareness about critical issues affecting people with disabilities in The Gambia through the lens of the UN convention on rights of persons with disabilities.

Speaking at the training, the executive director of the Gambia Federation of Disabled, Ebrima Dibbasey, said the training would be very vital to the life of the disabled persons, and the right to the person with disability.

He added that the GFD is the umbrella body of all persons with disability, pointing out that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had been rendering support to them as well as their programmes.

He called on all the participants to disseminate the information gathered from the training to the entire population, noting that the turnout of the invitees had shown that Gambian population has respect and concern for persons with disability.

Sulayman Colley, president of the Gambia Paralympic Committee, said all the stakeholders have a role to play to create an enabling environment for persons with disability.

The director of Social welfare, Fanta Bai Secka, said the training of the law enforcement agents and the legal practitioners was very important as it would effect change.

Everyone is equal before the law, and the right of the disability should be respected, she said, adding that most of the disabled people in The Gambia are Gambians.

She urged persons with disability to sensitize the public and build partnership with the stakeholders, saying the Government of The Gambia had always been supportive of persons with disability.