The common catch phrase has it that disability does not mean inability. This wise word is widely accepted and respected across the world; The Gambia not an exception. The plight of people with disability throughout the globe are to a great extent the same in terms of discrimination at homes, work places and access to other basic social amenities.

As The Gambia joined the rest of the world yesterday, December 3rd to celebrate the World Disability Day, set aside by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the most striking thing that comes to mind is the numerous efforts made towards achieving the objectives of the day, especially those on promoting the rights of the disabled persons in our midst at local, national and international level.

People with disability are our own brothers and sisters and the need to see them as part and parcel of us cannot be over-emphasised, as far as efforts geared towards achieving sustainable economic, human and political developments are concerned. The disabled could have the same potentials like the abled; after all, we are all the same human beings, sharing that unique bond of humanity.

In The Gambia, under the abled and dynamic leadership of President Jammeh since he assumed the mantle of leadership, series of programmes and projects have been initiated and implemented for the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare all whithout any discrimination on the grounds of personal status. The government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with stakeholders such as the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, has registered series of success stories in this regard.

The status of the disabled in the country by the stretch of all imagination is immeasurable to previous time in all aspects. This reality could be seen in national policies for promoting the ideals of equal employment opportunities, mass awareness creation on the rights of the disabled, the need to support the welfare of the disabled in all aspects of human activities such as education, access to both public and private means of transport system and other basic social amenities.

As we had celebrated through series of activities marking this yearÂ's World Disability Day, we call on people to redouble their efforts towards the promotion of the rights and welfare of the disabled for the socio-economic development of the country. We must be seen to develop a deep sense of love, care and respect for them at all times, regardless of family relations, religious and other perceived connections. In order to have an effective and efficient promotion of the rights and welfare of the disabled in our communities, the world must break the traditional circles of discrimination, isolation, dehumanisation and low representation as far as the plight of the disabled are concerned with all immediacy.

Loving someone is about putting yourself in their shoes and caring about what they feel. Let us therefore empower the disabled and sensitise about the effective and efficient role they can play in national development if given the necessary support and consideration.