Opposition MP Hem Chand says there is a widening gap between disability policies on paper and the realities faced by families caring for children with disabilities across Fiji.
Speaking in Parliament last Wednesday, Chand said many parents are struggling daily to provide care for their children while facing inadequate support services, inaccessible transport and rising living costs.
“There is a growing gap between what is written on paper and what families are experiencing on the ground,” he said.
Chand told Parliament that many parents begin their day before sunrise caring for children with disabilities, administering medication, assisting with mobility needs and ensuring they get to school safely.
“After the school day ends, the caregiving continues late into the night. Those parents are not asking for sympathy – they are asking for support,” he said.
“They are asking for accessible transport, they are asking for proper therapy services, they are asking for financial assistance that reflects the real cost of disability care, and they are asking for inclusion that is real.”
The Opposition MP identified transport accessibility as one of the biggest concerns repeatedly raised by families.
“A child in a wheelchair cannot fully participate in society if buses remain inaccessible,” Chand said.
“A person with mobility impairment should not have to rely on expensive taxi fares simply to attend school, work or medical appointments.”
He said accessibility should be treated as a basic human right and called for urgent action to improve public infrastructure.
“We must now move urgently towards enforcing accessibility standards for public transport, public buildings, footpaths, crossings and public infrastructure across Fiji because inclusion cannot exist where physical barriers still remain.”
Chand also raised concerns about the adequacy of financial assistance available to persons with disabilities and their families.
He said the current welfare and disability assistance programmes need urgent review, arguing that existing support payments fail to reflect the true cost of caring for people with severe disabilities.
“The grant allocation for people with disabilities must increase in the next Budget because the cost of caring for a child with severe disabilities is extremely high,” he said.
Chand noted that families often face significant expenses for diapers, medication, therapy, specialised food, transport, assistive devices and around-the-clock caregiving.
“Many families continue to survive on support payments that simply do not reflect the actual cost of care in today’s economy,” he said.
The Opposition MP urged the Government to strengthen support services and improve accessibility to ensure persons with disabilities can participate fully in society and that caregivers receive the assistance they need.
