Our work in the Pacific

CBM Australia is working together with partners to embark on an ambitious expansion to amplify its impact in the lives of people with disabilities across the Pacific.

With decades of experience working in the Pacific, we are well placed to scale up our engagement and presence in the Pacific to further contribute to poverty reduction. We do this by influencing the development of policies, programs and services that are compliant with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Central to our approach is a commitment to partnering with Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs). Through a longstanding relationship with the Pacific Disability Forum, we seek to make inclusion a reality, to create rights-based, global and systemic policy change, and directly impact the lives of people with disabilities, their families and communities.

This will be achieved through our three vehicles of change – programs that transform communities and work with and support OPDs, advocacy that supports and amplifies the voices of people with disabilities, and disability inclusion advisory services undertaken with people with disabilities themselves.

1.7 million people with disabilities in the Pacific

People living with disabilities are one of the most marginalised population groups in Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) countries. At least 1.7 million Pacific islanders are living with some form of disability. People with disabilities are over-represented among those living in poverty and also have lower economic, health and education outcomes.

While most Pacific countries are rated medium or high on the UN human development index, during our decades of work, we have noted significant gaps in services for people with disabilities, while strong movements in the region are calling for increased voice and recognition of rights for people with disabilities.

Barriers to participation and lack of specific supports and services such as assistive technology, rehabilitation, accessible infrastructure, interpreters, a trained workforce and community-based inclusive development mean Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are robbed of the contributions of people with disabilities to social, economic and political life.

A new strategy and a new approach

To respond to these challenges, CBM Australia has played a key role in developing a strategy to engage in the Pacific, where we intend to work collaboratively with CBM New Zealand both regionally and in selected countries.

At the centre of our strategy is a strong partnership with the Pacific Disability Forum and their national and associate members, including the development of an advisory forum to align with the current context and adapt and respond to future challenges.