Africa-Press – Gambia. Members of the Female wing of Gambia Association of the Deaf and Head of Hearing (GADHOH), has expressed their wish to meet President Adama Barrow, for him to personally hear from them the challenges they are facing, including escalating discrimination against them as persons with disability.
The Director of GADHOH’s female wing skills centre Isatou Sayang, said despite the presence of highly trained and skilled professionals in different skills from soap making to tailoring, tie and dye among others, her members face challenges accessing funding and empowerment from the government.
“We want government to treat us and the abled bodied persons equally. For example at this skills centre here none of our trainers go home with a salary which is painful. Myself I have worked here for 15 years without receiving a salary. We want government to come to our skills centre, see what we are doing and empower us by employing trainers and creating opportunities for sign language professionals, as well, ” she lamented.
Fana Secka secretary at the Skill Centre, said governments must act now to help the deaf and heard of hearing. “Maybe the government is thinking that the deaf community cannot do anything in this society. The government has forgotten that we are Gambians paying taxes and voting during elections. So we want equality,” she said.
Secka disclosed that unlike abled bodied people, whenever they apply for funding at government institutions, their applications are always turned down which is why they want to meet the president so that he can create opportunities for persons with disabilities.
She lamented that there are no sign language interpreters at our television stations, hospitals, police stations or courts. ”’ One sure way of changing these is to help GADHOH’s skills centre and also recruit sign language interpreters in national dialogues.
“We are sad citizens of the Gambia,” Secka lamented.
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