Disabled Community Cries Neglect

The disable community in Liberia has accused the government here for being insensitive to the plight of less fortunate people. The group, which includes visually impaired and physically challenged, noted that government seems to take pleasure in seeing people with disabilities, languishing in the streets, begging for alms.

Grouping themselves under the umbrella body, Activists for the Restoration of Disable Dignity, they described government’s posture as reckless and ill responsible.

The head of the group L. Samuel Allen said the sole responsibility of government to its citizens is to hold up to the tenants of the constitution, but in doing it seems to have automatically abandoned the disabled people.

Samuel said the disables are not Charles Darwin’s theory, though he did not explain the meaning of his statement, but added “How can someone, who is looking into the affairs of persons with disability is mute and sleeping, while disables are dying one after another daily.”

He explained that the plight of persons with disability was ignored in the government’s 150-day deliverables, noting “Even at the UN 67th General Assembly, while discussing the many priority issues that Liberia is faced with, ranging from youth and women empowerment, disable issue was not talked about, even in her government vision 2030 consultation throughout the country, [we] were not involved.”

Samuel noted that some of their colleagues who have gained economic status cannot find jobs both in the public and private sectors.