As people with disabilities are not seen regularly in the media and are rarely portrayed as persons with opinions on news and topical issues, The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) in collaboration with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) on Wednesday, trained some group of journalists in The Gambia on how to promote human rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) at Alliance Franco-Gambienne, Kairaba Avenue.

Participants were drawn from both the electronic and print media throughout the country to orient them on how to promote the human rights of people with disabilities. Muhammed Korah, chairman of Gambia Federation of the Disabled dilated on the importance of the training and how it will be helpful to PWDs throughout The Gambia in terms of their inclusion in the media. He said journalists as professional communicators, are in unique positions to shape the public image of persons with disabilities. This he said, is due to the fact that the words and images journalists use can create positive views of person with disabilities or an insensitive portrayal that reinforces common myths. Korah, on behalf of GFD, thanked their collaborators and the participants for their large turnout to the training.

Ndella Faye-Colley, program manager, VSO, who deputised for the country director of VSO, The Gambia, highlighted VSO's international works in the area of disability in 13 countries including The Gambia. She said their aim is to empower persons with disabilities and support their access to basic services as well as enhance their participation in community and family life. She said that it is a well-known fact that one of the important partners in development is the media and its practitioners as they play a crucial role in the dissemination of information to the general public.

She said "according to the WHO, 10 per cent of every population is disabled. Therefore, the training of journalists on disability issues is fundamental as awareness creation on disability and PWDs in our society is concerned". She added that VSO believes that disability is the disadvantage and exclusion which arise as an outcome of the interaction between people who have impairments and the social environmental barriers they face. This she said is due to the failure of society to take account of their rights and needs. According to her, in order to change this scenario, there is need to partner with and work closely with the media to disseminate the right information to the right people at the right time.

Yvette Phillot, program officer - ACDHRS, who represented the executive director of ACDHRS, defined disabled person as someone who lacks one or more physical or even psychological powers, thereby affecting how he or she lives or performs certain functions. She noted that disability could occur at birth or acquired later due to circumstances beyond one's control -  could be the result of armed conflict, malnutrition or others.

According to her, today, over 600 million people, approximately 10 per cent of the world's population live with one form of disability or the other.  "It is unfortunate to realize that these people are exposed to some forms of discrimination and social exclusion. This negative attitude rooted in ignorance, low expectations and prejudice has led to the exclusion and marginalization of persons with disabilities," she said.

She said persons with disabilities are denied the right to participate and contribute to nation building as well as enjoy the full range of civil, cultural, political and social rights. On human rights dimensions of disability, she said in the past, persons with disabilities were to be invisible, and were considered objects of pity, needing protection, treatment and or assistance rather than having rights.