Bose Vavataga 
[Photo: Bose Vavataga]
Changing public attitudes remains a major challenge for people with disabilities in Fiji, despite progress in protecting their rights.
Fiji Disabled People’s Federation representative Setareki Macanawai says discrimination continues to affect their chances of getting jobs, education and essential services.
He says laws alone cannot guarantee inclusion if employers and schools are unwilling to give them equal opportunities.
“Even if we have good policies, we have available funding and we have legislation, at the end of the day, it will depend on that boss or that employer, whether he or she or that company would want to employ a person with disability.”
Macanawai says Fiji has made progress since the disability rights movement began in the 1980s.
The country ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2017, leading to stronger commitments and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018.
He says opportunities have expanded into tertiary education, employment, agriculture, fisheries and sports.
However, accessibility remains a concern, particularly in hospitals, courts and public transport.
“But there’s also now a call from the Organization for Persons with Disabilities, not just the fiscal infrastructure, but also the services. For example, in the hospitals, when we talk about people who are deaf or impaired and they need sign language, we need to provide that as a service.”
The Pacific Disability Forum is holding a two-day workshop in Lautoka to promote inclusion and strengthen disaster preparedness for people with disabilities across the Pacific.
