The forum brought together community leaders, educators, youth, and local partners, including the Gambia Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Gambia Association of the Physically Disabled.
“This forum is long overdue,” says Abdoulie A.O. Bah of the Gambia Association of the Physically Disabled.
Bah also highlighted the many challenges People With Disabilities face on daily basis, saying these barriers are even made worse by the lack of accessible information, schools, and infrastructure.
“Education is not just about sitting in class. You need proper facilities for those with hearing impairments, visual challenges, and physical disabilities the Disability Act spells it out clearly. But our grassroots communities must know these rights and put them into practice.”
Bah also expressed concern that specialised facilities remain concentrated in the Greater Banjul Area, leaving rural areas behind.
He, thus welcomed government’s plan to establish a rehabilitation centre in Bansang, a move he said, could help transform support systems in the Central River (CRR) and the Upper River Regions.
He also urged authorities to go further by decentralising essential services and ensuring every trainee teacher learns to communicate and work effectively with PWDs.
“Incorporate sign language and disability care into school training modules,” he emphasised. “The same applies to the health sector.”
For Dodou Loum, Executive Director of the Gambia Organization for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the biggest challenge they face is stigma.
“People with hearing impairments face discrimination every day. This requires collective responsibility from the state, Village Development Committees, and parents. As a signatory to the UNCRPD, The Gambia must safeguard and protect PWDs in every aspect of life.”
Beyond speeches and presentations, the forum offered a rare safe space for participants to share their lived experiences.
Maimuna K. Jallow, a special needs teacher from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), outlined that inclusion starts at home. “Parents and the public must be involved. Include PWD in all societal affairs,” she urged.
For many villagers, the most empowering moment came when hard-of-hearing participant Isatou Ceesay spoke about the importance of being heard literally and socially.
“This engagement is very important. Our parents and guardians are here with us, learning how to treat us better, while we also share the challenges we face at home and in our communities.” she added.
Ceesay thus renewed the call for full implementation of the PWD Act 2021 and for more supportive and accessible schools, communities, and public spaces. “Remove the barriers that limit our participation and inclusion,” she urged.
