Disability aid up, but struggles remain

People living with disabilities that prevent them from accessing public transportation say the Government needs to do more to support them.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, delivered a statement outlining her ministry's efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Fiji.

This includes the revised National Policy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2025-2035 which was endorsed by Cabinet in June. With the policy's focus on 13 priority areas, including data and accessibility, and the ministry's increased social protection support, Ms Kiran stressed that the Government was committed to protecting and fulfilling the rights of members of this community.

But some people with disabilities believe not enough concrete action is being taken to make some public services more disability-inclusive and accessible.

Kolinio Laisenia.

Kolinio Laisenia, 42, who is wheelchair bound because of a juvenile rheumatoid arthritis disease he was diagnosed with, said he had to get around by taxi as using the bus was not possible for him.

Mr Laisenia worries that people with similar disabilities on welfare may struggle to pay for costly taxi trips, even after the five per cent hike in the disability allowance. He called for a higher allowance to accommodate Fijians facing significant mobility challenges.

And he's not alone.

Ilikena Waqabaca, 53, a stroke survivor who walks with the support of crutches, said it had become increasingly difficult to use the bus.

"Drivers are often impatient so when I get off the bus, they try to rush me," he added.

"No one tries to help me either."

The 2017 National Census found there were over 113,000 people above the age of five with some level of disability.

Ms Kiran said the incidence of disability in Fiji's population is likely to grow due to the high rates of diabetes and stroke.

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