Disability groups demand role in disaster planning
Ms Seru said the disability community had different support requirements, making direct participation essential to effective programme delivery.
Thursday 12 November 2026 | 14:00
Senimelia Seru speaking during the four-day Pacific OPD Leadership and Inclusive Resilient Communities Workshop, at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka.
Photos: Mereleki Nai
People with disabilities must be involved from the beginning in designing disaster preparedness programmes and policies, says Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) Office Manager Senimelia Seru.
She said programmes often failed to address the diverse needs of people with disabilities because they were excluded from early planning or grouped with other minority communities.
Ms Seru made the comments during the four-day Pacific OPD Leadership and Inclusive Resilient Communities Workshop, which ended today at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka.
She said regional programmes supported by development partners had strengthened organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), but their long-term sustainability depended on Government commitment.
Senimelia Seru during the four-day Pacific OPD Leadership and Inclusive Resilient Communities Workshop, at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka.
Photos: Mereleki Nai
She called on governments to work directly with disability organisations when developing future programmes, ensuring accessibility and reasonable accommodation were included in planning and budgets from the outset.
Ms Seru said people with disabilities had different support requirements, making their direct participation essential to effective programme delivery.
She also called for a review of achievements and priorities to guide the next 10 years of support.
The workshop brought together 39 participants, including representatives of 13 disability organisations from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Pacific Disability Forum chief executive Sainimili Tawake said people with disabilities were often among the last to receive disaster warnings and assistance.
She said they should be recognised as active contributors to disaster preparedness rather than passive recipients of relief.
The Fiji Meteorological Service has forecast 11 to 15 named tropical cyclones across the region this season, with two to three expected to pass through Fiji's waters.
Ms Tawake said disaster plans must be developed with people with disabilities to ensure warnings, evacuation arrangements and assistance met their needs.
The workshop was convened by the Pacific Disability Forum with CBM Australia.
