Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), in partnership with ChildFund The Gambia, recently concluded a two-day seminar aimed at integrating disability inclusion into disaster risk reduction strategies across the country.
The training, held from July 18 to 19 at Mansa Wally Lodge in Pakalinding in the Lower River Region, brought together key stakeholders to develop actionable plans for ensuring that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are meaningfully involved in all phases of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
NDMA’s Director of Operations, Mr. Baboucarr Ceesay, who served as the lead resource person, outlined the agency’s structure, governance framework, and funding mechanisms. He contextualized the pressing need for disability inclusive disaster policies. His assistant complemented the presentation by introducing assessment tools that should be adapted to reflect the lived realities of PWDs during disasters.
Participants noted that individuals with disabilities are often disproportionately affected by disasters due to systemic exclusion from planning processes. During both plenary and group discussions, attendees highlighted numerous barriers faced by PWDs.
These included physical challenges such as inaccessible infrastructure, communication hurdles stemming from the lack of emergency information in accessible formats, and persistent social stigma.
Limited resources, inadequate humanitarian assistance, and a lack of political representation in disaster policy-making were also cited as significant obstacles.
The seminar emphasized the importance of involving persons with disabilities in early warning systems and data collection initiatives, as well as incorporating their voices into disaster policy formulation.
Participants stressed the need for accessible information through formats such as braille, sign language, tactile aids, and audio-visual materials. They also called for community infrastructure improvements, including the installation of ramps, accessible signage, and better drainage systems to reduce disaster vulnerability.
A key recommendation emerging from the seminar was the formal integration of the Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) into the National Disaster Management Platform. Attendees also advocated for the review of disaster risk management policies to include clear indicators on disability inclusion and the allocation of dedicated funding for inclusive programs.
Principal Magistrate Muhammed Krubally, Chairperson of GFD and the National Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities, underscored that disability rights are protected under both domestic and international legal frameworks. He referenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), The Gambia’s Persons with Disabilities Act of 2021, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Magistrate Krubally stressed that the principles of autonomy, non-discrimination, full participation, accessibility, and respect for diversity must be upheld at all times.
Fanta Darboe of ChildFund commended the NDMA for taking concrete steps toward inclusive disaster planning and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing disability rights in The Gambia. The sessions were chaired by Mr. Sainey Camara, Executive Director of the Gambia Federation of the Disabled.
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