On September 28, 1984, the government allocated a house on Domain Rd in Suva to serve as a residence for four disabled girls. Janet Braithwaite, an executive from the Australian Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (ACROD), remarked on the importance of providing disabled individuals with proper homes rather than confining them to institutions. This grassroots effort was a result of her visit to Fiji in 1983.
According to an article from The Fiji Times published on that date, the girls were now thriving in the government-provided home, earning their own wages, and were able to manage their grocery shopping and household expenses. ACROD contributed an additional $50 weekly to supplement their income.
The house was made accessible for the girls, who included two polio survivors, a paraplegic, and a girl with hearing impairment. Mrs. Braithwaite emphasized that the initiative aimed to foster independence, encouraging the girls to eventually transition to living on their own in the future.
During her visit in 1983, Mrs. Braithwaite identified a gender bias in government-supported projects, which motivated her to seek accommodation solutions for older disabled girls, leading to collaboration with the National Council for Women and the Fiji government to establish the home.
She expressed satisfaction in returning to see the project’s success and noted that the girls were enjoying a greater sense of autonomy. Edith Paul, who was with Mrs. Braithwaite, mentioned that ACROD, established in 1962, plays a significant role in providing disability services across Australia, East Asia, and the Pacific, annually receiving over $240,000 in aid from the Australian government and supporting disabled services in Fiji.