“We Are Not Beggars, We Are Assets”: PWD Advocate Urges NPP-GDC Alliance to Prioritise Disability Inclusion

By Alieu Jallow

Speaking during the NPP-GDC Grand Alliance event at the State House in Banjul, Janneh said successive governments and society at large have failed to adequately address the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, leaving many to face discrimination, exclusion and widespread marginalisation.

A member of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) living with a disability, Lamin Janneh, has called on the newly formed National People’s Party (NPP)-GDC alliance to place persons with disabilities (PWDs) at the centre of its development agenda, stressing that they should be recognised as valuable contributors to national development rather than being viewed as beggars.

“I want this alliance to conduct research and realise that persons with disabilities are human beings and an important part of society. They should understand that disability is God-given and can happen to anyone. People with disabilities continue to face discrimination and marginalisation. The government should support us and include us in every aspect of national development,” Janneh said.

Janneh stressed that he does not consider himself a beggar and said many other persons with disabilities also do not wish to rely on begging for survival. Instead, he urged the government to empower the Gambia Federation of the Disabled and create opportunities that would enable PWDs to become self-reliant.

“As a person with a disability, I do not see myself as a beggar. My fellow persons with disabilities are also not happy begging. What we need is empowerment. The number of persons with disabilities continues to grow, and the government should strengthen the Federation and invest in programmes that promote economic independence,” he said.

He further reminded Gambians that disability can affect anyone at any stage of life and called on citizens and policymakers alike to embrace inclusion.

“Nobody can confidently say they will never become a person with a disability. That is why I am calling on everyone to support, include and empower persons with disabilities. I commend the GDC because, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they became the first political party to extend support to persons with disabilities,” he noted.

Janneh also appealed to the coalition government to prioritise disability-inclusive policies by expanding access to education, healthcare, employment and skills development.

According to him, persons with disabilities in The Gambia have, for far too long, endured stigma, stereotypes and exclusion from opportunities that would allow them to contribute meaningfully to national development.

He urged the NPP-GDC alliance to translate its political partnership into tangible policies that promote equal opportunities and uphold the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities across the country.

Janneh further urged policymakers to move beyond welfare-based approaches and adopt policies that promote equal opportunities, independence and dignity for persons with disabilities.

He said meaningful inclusion should go beyond political rhetoric and translate into concrete investments in accessible education, quality healthcare, vocational training, entrepreneurship support and employment opportunities.

“We do not need sympathy; we need opportunities. When persons with disabilities are empowered, they become contributors to national development instead of being perceived as dependants,” he said.

His remarks come at a time when disability advocates continue to push for the full implementation of The Gambia’s Persons with Disabilities Act, 2021, which seeks to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, prohibit discrimination, and guarantee equal access to public services and opportunities.

Janneh concluded by expressing hope that the NPP-GDC alliance would make disability inclusion a key pillar of its political agenda, ensuring that persons with disabilities are represented in decision-making processes and benefit from national development programmes.