According to the census results 2017, 113 595 Fijians have some form of disability.

This accounts for 13.7 percent of the total population of 884 887 people.
Executive Director for the Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons – Dr. Sitiveni Yanuyanutawa says while these figures far exceed their numbers from previous surveys, it was to be expected.

“That’s a very significant and profound finding and I’m, from the Council’s perspective we are not surprised. We’ve been saying it all along, when we did the baseline survey way back in 2008/9 that the number that we got there on 11 402 was always the tip of the iceberg so we always anticipate the number will go up.”

Dr. Yanuyanutawa says while the data has to be broken down further, it does provide the council with a new strategy to ensure disability friendly services are available across the country.

“The way to tackle all the different challenges that they face, not only from accessibility point of view where they’ll be able to access public transport systems, but in dual environments, in sports arenas, in any public places where they go to.”

The Bureau of Statistics are expected to release more information over the coming weeks that will show the breakdown of these figures by gender, ethnicities, age and province.

Meanwhile, according to the Bureau, the most number of people with disabilities have been found in Fiji’s 15th province, Rotuma.