Suva, Fiji – 4 June 2026 | The Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) proudly joins the global community in commemorating the World Day for Assistive Technology (World AT Day) on 4 June, a day that shines a spotlight on the vital role assistive technology plays in enabling persons with disabilities to participate fully in education, work, family life and community life across the Pacific and beyond.
Assistive technology, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, eyeglasses, prostheses and communication tools, is essential for independence, dignity and inclusion. Yet access remains deeply unequal. A recent annual review by an international assistive technology partnership noted that in some parts of the Pacific, only 5 to 15 per cent of assistive technology needs are being met, underscoring the urgency of stronger investment, service delivery and regional coordination.
World Day for Assistive Technology brings together governments, organizations, advocates and communities worldwide to highlight the urgent need for affordable, appropriate and quality assistive technology. It is also a platform to amplify the voices and lived experiences of persons with disabilities, whose leadership is essential to shaping inclusive policies, services and systems that work in practice.
There is growing momentum in the region. ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, works with governments, organizations of persons with disabilities, donors, civil society and other partners to improve access to life-changing assistive products and services around the world. In 2025, ATscale launched the Strengthening Pacific Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation for Kids (SPARK) programme under its Unlock Healthy Learning initiative, backed by a US$10.5 million investment from the Government of Australia. The three-year programme aims to expand access to assistive technology and rehabilitation services for school-aged children across seven Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia.
PDF also acknowledges the important contributions of partners such as WHO and UNICEF in advancing assistive technology across the Pacific region. PDF further recognizes the efforts of the Fiji Mobility Alliance, the former Spinal Injury Association of Fiji, and PhysioNet UK in supporting the provision of assistive technology in Fiji and across the Pacific.
The Pacific Disability Forum CEO Ms Sainimili Tawake welcomes this momentum and stresses that much more must be done to ensure no one is left behind. In line with this year’s global call to action, PDF encourages governments, development partners, organizations of persons with disabilities and communities across the Pacific to:
- Promote inclusive and accessible communities through the integration of assistive technology,
- Invest in sustainable systems for the provision, maintenance, and distribution of assistive devices,
- Support awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives that highlight the role of assistive technology,
- Collaborate with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to ensure that solutions are informed by lived experience,
- Recognize that smartphones can also serve as assistive technology, supporting communication, access to information and greater independence for persons who are blind or have low vision, Deaf and hard of hearing persons, neurodivergent persons, and other underserved disability groups.
As a leading regional voice for persons with disabilities, the Pacific Disability Forum remains committed to advancing equitable access to assistive technology as a core pillar of disability-inclusive development, resilience and human rights in the Pacific.
On this World Day for Assistive Technology, PDF calls on Pacific governments, development partners and civil society to work together to remove barriers, strengthen national systems and expand opportunities so that assistive technology is available, affordable and accessible to all who need it across every island, community and nation in our region.
For more information, please contact: Soloveni Vitoso on infor@pacificdisability.org.
