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Momodou
Denmark
11733 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Dec 2006 : 14:45:53
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"Don't Raid Disabled Beggars"
By Yaya Bajo
Following last week's crackdown on disabled street beggars by the police and the subsequent conviction of 21 of them by Magistrate B.Y. Camara of the Banjul Magistrates' Court for causing nuisance in the streets, the President of the Gambia Federation of The Disabled first reacted to the saga by calling on the Police not to raid disabled street beggars but to engage them in dialogue. Mr. Korah made this call while delivering a speech on the occasion of World Disability Day celebration, on December 3rd at the KMC grounds.
The head of the disabled organisations' federation urged the Gambia Police Force to show sympathy and solidarity in the process of clearing disabled beggars from the streets. He advised the Police officers not to raid street beggars but to advice them to quit the streets or distance themselves from the danger areas to avoid becoming victims of traffic accidents.
Mr. Korah further appealed to the police officers to use the sensitisation approach when it comes to dealing with disabled street beggars. He said he feared that "as we celebrate World Disability Day, the stand off between the street beggars and the authorities might be negatively perceived by the international community". He therefore urged the police not to clamp down on the beggars, but to simply advise them to abandon danger areas for their own safety. "It is our desire to see that in the next ten years no disabled person will beg in the streets with the help of the Government and all the stakeholders," he said.
The GFD President also spoke about the long term plan of his organisation to ensure that physically disabled people including the visually impaired become computer literate as the theme for this year, E-Accessibility, calls for it.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.109/2006, 6-7 December, 2006
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