A two-day training workshop was recently organised for Gambian media practitioners by the Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) at the Catholic Education Secretariat in Kanifing.

The training, which drew participants from both the print and electronic media was aimed at increasing their awareness on disability rights, and to establish a media monitoring committee for issues relating to disability. It was funded by the European Union through the Non-State Actors Strengthening Programme.

Speaking at the occasion, the programme coordinator of Non-State Actors, Liseli Bulli, highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Gambia Federation of Disabled in bringing attention to the rights of persons with disability, particularly the rights of children with disability. She explained that the training is part of their efforts to provide training for media practitioners, noting that the forum will avail the participants the opportunity to be exposed on the terminology for stories on disability, the related ethics, and the situation of disability and journalism in The Gambia, amongst others.

Bulli informed the forum that The Gambia is among the signatories to the Cotonou Agreement, which she said was signed in June 2000 between the European Union, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific- ACP Group. She further explained that the Agreement emphasised the role of the Non-State Actors in the development process.

Her words: “The agreement supports the participation of all sectors of society to create conditions for greater equity. This agreement takes Non State-Actors in all its form, some of whom are represented here today.” Bulli said that through the funding of the European Union, grants have been provided and partnerships entered into under the Non-State Actors Strengthening Programme.

She added that these are intended to enable Non-State Actors to better fulfill their mission and initiatives, while underscoring that the programme recognises opportunities for disabilities and advocating for the rights of children with disabilities.  She then expressed hope that the training will enable the journalists to actively support the awareness creations in this regard.      

Deputising the director of Social Welfare, Sainey Camara underscored the significance of the training, while noting that his department has since been working very closely with the Gambia Federation of Disabled Persons.Camara said issues of disability are cross cutting, stressing that they should be disseminated across the country.“Nobody is immune to be affected; every one of us must have a relative who is affected,” he stated.

He then urged the information communicators to change the language of referring those affected as disables, and instead use the appropriate way of describing them as persons with disabilities. He also informed the forum that persons with disabilities need four important things, which he said are self-independence, economic independence, provisions and inclusion.  

For her part, Ndela Faye Colley of the Voluntary Service Overseas The Gambia (VSO), said her organisation is proud to be associated with the Gambia Federation of Disabled, adding that their partnership and interest started many years ago. She described the training as a follow-up to several trainings they have done in partnership with Gambia Federation of the Disabled and other stakeholders.

“The reason behind it is to broaden the awareness of people on issues affecting disability. It is therefore important to bring people together once in a while and discuss on issues affecting the disabled,” she underscored. Noting that persons with disabilities have equal or the same rights as others, Colley stressed that they [disables] should be given equal opportunity to participate in their communities.

Speaking earlier, Ebrima Dibbasey, the publicity secretary at the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, informed the gathering that their objective as an organisation representing persons with disabilities in The Gambia, is to among other things, empower those affected, and to make sure that they are catered in all government programmes and projects with a view to enable them to become dignified citizens in the country. He added that the training is crucial in the quest to achieving that objective.

Dibbassy also expressed his organisation’s commitment to establish what he called monitoring mechanism in the media fraternity to keep an eye on the way and manner disabled persons are portrayed in both electronic and print media.