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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 17:31:31
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http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6956
: Focus on Gambia Federation of the Disabled
By Musa Barrow on 01-06-11
The Gambia currently has eight disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) representing a large number of people with different types of disabilities, in both the rural and the urban areas. These eight DPOs come under an umbrella body called the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, or GFD. Part of GFD’s role is to work closely with the Department of Social Welfare, which is the line department for disability issues within the Gambian Government.
What does the Gambia Federation of the Disabled do?
GFD works to encourage positive social attitudes and behaviour towards people with disabilities and to support the recognition of people’s social, economic and cultural rights across society. Not everyone is born with a disability; many people become disabled through no fault of their own, through illness or accidents which can happen at any time. GFD advocates for society to continue to be accessible to people with disabilities, in all kinds of ways. Over the next few months, this column will highlight some of the challenges and issues faced by people with disabilities in the Gambia, some of the reasons behind disability, as well as carrying out interviews to provide the opportunity for individuals to speak for themselves.
GFD’s mission statement is to promote equal opportunities, rights and full participation for people with disabilities in the development process and to support their realization of these rights.
But who are the 8 Disabled People’s Organizations?
This week’s column will focus on two of the DPOs:
1 Gambia Organization of the Visually Impaired (GOVI)
The Gambia Organization of the Visually Impaired (GOVI) was established in 1991 by an amalgamation of The Gambia Society for the Blind and The Gambia Association of the Blind, which had existed since the 1970s. GOVI runs the only school for the visually impaired in the Gambia.
The supreme aim of GOVI is the prevention of blindness, the rehabilitation of the visually impaired and active promotion of the rights to equal opportunities and full participation in all spheres of national development and at all levels for the blind and visually impaired. GOVI works towards this aim through teaching Braille (more information on Braille to follow in a later column), working on community based rehabilitation programmes and through livelihoods training.
For more information, see www.govi.gm
2 Gambia Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH)
GADHOH has been established since 1992, when it was set up as the Gambia Association for the Hearing Impaired, changing its name to GADHOH in 1995.
In Gambia, the language for deaf and hard of hearing people is Gambian sign language. GADHOH offers Gambian Sign Language training, and also runs an interpreting service for institutions (hospitals, training and education centres, police and judiciary etc) to use when a deaf person requires to speak to someone who does not speak Gambian Sign Language. There are currently books of Gambian Sign Language available, with the pictures drawn by deaf artist.
GADHOH runs a pre-school nursery school (opened in 2001), a Women’s Wing and has several branches across the country, including in Brikama and Barra. They also have their own sports teams - their football teams will be featured in another column. They are also involved in work at the community level, working alongside families and the deaf community, either in education, health or leisure activities.
For more information, see www.gadhoh.com
If you have any comments or questions or suggestions about GFD, please do get in touch with the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, 890 5368 or gfdgambian1@gmail.com
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 09 Jun 2011 17:32:40 |
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