Fiji

Country Profile: Fiji 

Statistics  

Human development index (for 2005)
Human development index rank  92 (UNDP 2007)
GDP per capital (PPP) $6 049 (UNDP 2007)
Life Expectancy at birth (years) 68.3 (UNDP 2007)
Combined gross enrolment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary education  74.8 per cent (UNDP 2007)*
Demography
Total population mid-2007 857 000 (United Nations 2006)
Population of persons with disabilities 3 117 ** (Fiji 2008)
Proportion of persons with disabilities to total population Estimated at more than 10 per cent *** (Fiji 2008)
definition of disability  Not available (ESCAP 2006, Q 19)
definition of persons with disabilities “[P]ersons, who as a result of physical, mental or sensory impairment are restricted or lacking in ability to perform an activity in the manner considered normal for human
beings.” (Fiji 1994, part I, art. 2)
Employment rate of persons with disabilities Not available (ESCAP 2006, Q 12.1)
Access to education  Not available (ESCAP 2006, Q 6/7.1)
Institutional framework
National coordination mechanism or disability focal point  Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons, established in 1994, under the Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Housing (ESCAP 2006, Qs 1(i), (ii))
Number of members and composition of the mechanism Includes 14 Council members, 55 advisory members and approximately 360district representatives (ESCAP 2006, Q 1(ii))

Legislative and policy framework

 
Mention on disability in constitution    “A person must not be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, on the ground of his or her:
                 (a) actual or supposed personal characteristics of circumstances, including...disability.” (Fiji 1988, chap. 4, sect.. 38, subsect. 2); “Every person has the right of access, without discrimination on a prohibited ground, to
shops, hotels, lodging-houses, public restaurants, places of public entertainment, public transport services, taxis and public places.” (Fiji 1988, chap. 4, sect. 38, subsect. 4);
“The proprietor of a place or service referred to in subsection (4) must facilitate reasonable access for disabled persons to the extent prescribed by law.” (Fiji 1988, chap. 4, sect. 38, subsect. 5)
comprehensive disability law No response provided (ESCAP 2006, Q 9)
Disabilitiy-specific anti discrimination law No (ESCAP 2006, Q 10)
Sectoral disbility laws Cover: education; employment; rehabilitation; health; building code; social security/social welfare, Q 8(i))
National plan of action on disability  National Policy on Persons Living with Disabilities, 2008–2018 (Fiji 2008)
National efforts to promote an Inclusive Society
Employment quota scheme  Not available (ESCAP 2004c, Q 30-a)
National accessibility standard National Building Code of Fiji, 1990National efforts to promote an Inclusive Society Public Health Regulations 2004 (ESCAP 2006, Q 13.1)
Standardized sign language  No (ESCAP 2006, Q 19.1)
ICT accessibility guideline No (ESCAP 2006, Q 18.1)
Financial commitment 
Proportion of disability (social) spending to GDP or entire national budget Not available
Annual budget allocated to the national coordination mechanism 170,000 Fiji dollars (ESCAP 2006, Q 1(ii))
Commitment to regional and international instruments on disability
Signatory to the Proclamation of the Decade 1993 (ESCAP 2004b)
Ratification of ILO Convention159 1 December 2004 (ILO 2009)
Ratification or signatiory of the conventions on the Rights of Person with Disabilities, and its Optional Protocol No (United Nations 2009)
*National or UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimate.
** Refers to people with disabilities who were “economically active and over the age of 15 years”.
***The incidence of disability in Fiji is likely higher than 10 per cent (the figure estimated by the United Nations for the global prevalence of disability) (Fiji 2008).
 

 

Source: http://www.unescap.org/ESID/psis/disability/publications/glance/Disability_at_a_Glance2009.pdf

up