Former National Assembly member and veteran broadcaster Ndey Yassin Secka has once again drawn national attention to an uncomfortable truth: in The Gambia, disability inclusion too often ends at legislation. While the Disability Act was rightly celebrated as a milestone, its promise remains largely unfulfilled due to weak implementation, inadequate funding, and the continued exclusion of persons with disabilities from decision-making spaces.
Secka’s critique is both timely and valid. Laws, no matter how progressive, are meaningless if they do not translate into improved living conditions. The absence of any representative of persons with disabilities in the National Assembly is not just symbolic; it is consequential. Without a voice at the table, disability issues predictably fall silent, sidelined by competing political priorities.
Equally troubling is the persistent treatment of persons with disabilities as objects of charity rather than as citizens with rights, skills, and potential. This mindset fuels dependence and indignity, pushing families toward street begging instead of empowerment. As Secka rightly notes, disability must never be equated with inability. With the right tools, access, and opportunities, persons with disabilities can and do contribute meaningfully to national development.
Education remains one of the most glaring gaps. The continued shortage of accessible learning materials—especially Braille—undermines inclusion from the very start. In an era where Braille production is neither complex nor expensive, the lack of investment reflects not technical constraints but political will. Inclusion in education is not a favor; it is a constitutional and moral obligation.
Perhaps most critical is Secka’s reminder: “Nothing for us without us.” Policies designed without the active involvement of persons with disabilities are bound to fail. Advisory boards and committees that exclude those they claim to serve risk becoming token gestures rather than engines of change.
President Adama Barrow deserves credit for assenting to the Disability Act. But the real test of leadership lies in consolidation—through budgetary commitment, inclusive governance, accessible education, and equitable employment. Disability is indeed a cross-cutting issue. Addressed fully, it strengthens society as a whole. Ignored, it entrenches inequality.
The government must now move beyond symbolism. Inclusion delayed is inclusion denied.
