DESPITE Fiji’s commitments under international human rights conventions, children with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in accessing education, healthcare and other essential support systems.
This was highlighted during the presentation of the Baseline Study on the Rights of Children with Disabilities by Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission training officer Irene Yuen.
Ms Yuen said the study showed there were gaps that needed urgent attention to ensure children were able to enjoy their rights equally.
The study focused on children under the age of 18, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and examined Fiji’s obligations under three major international conventions.
The conventions were on the rights of the child, the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and the rights of persons with disabilities.
“These three international conventions, which the Government of Fiji has ratified, provided the guiding framework for this study,” Ms Yuen said.
The study reviewed Fiji’s progress and compliance with these commitments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Fiji ratified in 1993.
The research covered the Western, Northern and Central divisions, using a human rights-based approach guided by Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles.
She said a combination of methods was used to conduct the study.
“This includes consultations with government agencies, interviews with non-government organisations working with children with disabilities and service providers,” she said.
“There were also community consultations conducted, surveys, focus group discussions, case studies, desktop reviews and written submissions.”
The study was supported by organisations working directly with children with disabilities, including the Frank Hilton Organisation and the Fiji Disabled People’s Federation.
“These two organisations assisted us in many ways, particularly in reaching the children and families who contributed to this study and providing the data that formed the basis of this report.”
An advisory committee was also established to provide expertise, guidance and strategic direction throughout the study. The committee included representatives from disability organisations, development specialists and a young person with a disability.
However, Ms Yuen said the study faced several limitations, including challenges in reaching participants and obtaining responses from some stakeholders. Researchers reached out to 54 children with disabilities and their families, but 31 people from 30 families participated in interviews.
“Their decisions were respected because participation was voluntary.”
She said one key limitation was the under representation of girls with disabilities, meaning their specific experiences and challenges might not have been fully captured. Of the 16 government ministries and institutions contacted, seven did not respond, while two agreed but did not schedule consultations. The team also attempted to engage teachers’ unions and several special schools but did not receive responses. Eight faith-based organisations were contacted, but none provided input.
“The limited funding and tight timeframe meant that the study was conducted by a small team, restricting the scale of the data collection,” she said.
She said the study was not designed to determine the total number of children living with disabilities in Fiji.
Instead, it focused on capturing their voices, experiences and stories to provide a baseline for future research, policy development and improvements to services. The study reached out to 54 children with disabilities and their families, with researchers visiting 10 communities across Fiji.
Eight communities participated, including six villages and two settlements. The research team also consulted 34 organisations out of 57 contacted, including non-profit organisations, civil society organisations, special schools and organisations of persons with disabilities.
Government institutions and statutory bodies were also consulted. A total of 16 interviews were conducted across nine government ministries and institutions, while 16 town hall sessions were held across eight communities with 265 participants. The study also received 90 written submissions.
Ms Yuen said because there was no complete national database identifying where children with disabilities lived, the team worked with disability organisations to identify children and families.
Thirty children were interviewed, including eight girls and 22 boys.
The children had different disabilities, including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, albinism, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, speech delays, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, global developmental delays and autism.
“The artwork displayed in the presentation was created by children with disabilities. Through their drawings, they shared their feelings and what they hope to do when they grow up.”
The study also interviewed 41 parents and caregivers, most of whom were mothers. Participants also included fathers, guardians, caregivers, two grandmothers, one grandfather and one aunt.
Community consultations were conducted to understand public attitudes and awareness about disability. Participants did not necessarily have to know about disability or have a child with a disability in their community, as the aim was to understand wider community perceptions.
In the Northern Division, researchers interviewed children and families in Labasa, visited families in Levuka, consulted two communities and engaged one organisation of persons with disabilities.
The study also received 90 online written submissions.
She said the findings were grouped into seven major themes.
“They were law, policy and participation; child and family experiences; community attitudes and inclusion; services and support systems; health and rehabilitation; education; and justice, safety and protection,” she said.
One of the major concerns identified was the continued difficulty children with disabilities face in accessing inclusive education.
While there were positive examples of institutions making improvements, Ms Yuen said more work was needed to ensure schools were safe, accessible and inclusive.
“We want children with disabilities to go to school, but we need to look at how safe, how accessible and how inclusive the teaching environment is,” she said.
She said there was a need to provide teachers who teach children with special needs the necessary support, including teaching assistants and aides.
The study also recognised positive steps taken by institutions.
“The courts had introduced child-friendly measures, such as allowing judges to remove their wigs when speaking with children with disabilities and providing screens for children giving evidence in sexual abuse cases,” Ms Yuen said.
She also acknowledged learning centres that supported children with special needs by allowing them to communicate through drawing, singing and other forms of expression.
“For some children, verbal communication is not possible. This is not their fault,” she said.
The study included 24 priority recommendations covering the seven thematic areas. Among the recommendations was the need to strengthen disability rights awareness across government and communities.
Ms Yuen said greater understanding was needed about different disabilities and the specific support required.
“Another recommendation was improving early identification and referral systems for children with disabilities.”
She said early detection was important because children could receive intervention and support at an earlier stage.
The study also recommended strengthening social protection support for children with disabilities and their caregivers. Another key recommendation was ensuring safe, accessible and inclusive environments, particularly in schools. The report also called for disability-inclusive health and rehabilitation services to be expanded outside Suva.
While Suva had stronger infrastructure and services, Ms Yuen said, areas such as the Northern Division continued to face limitations.
“There is a need to move these disability-inclusive health and rehabilitation services outside Suva,” she said.
The study also highlighted the importance of ensuring children with disabilities had access to sexual and reproductive health information and protection from gender-based violence.
Ms Yuen said children needed to understand their rights, including rights relating to their health and their bodies.
Another recommendation was establishing formal mechanisms for children with disabilities to participate in decision-making. She said children should not only be represented through parents and caregivers but should also have opportunities to express their own views.
“Children can communicate in different ways through drawings, singing or other forms of expression. We need to bring ourselves to their level rather than expecting children to adapt to our systems.”
Ms Yuen said the commission would undertake a 12-month advocacy plan following the study and would return to communities, including those in the North, to conduct awareness programs.
She encouraged organisations and individuals working with children with disabilities to use the report to identify gaps and strengthen partnerships.
Ms Yuen said the report could help identify where the gaps were and where we could position ourselves, including how we could partner together.
