On Friday, 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 that individuals with disabilities should not be confined to institutions but instead should have proper homes where they can shop, cook, and care for themselves.
The Fiji Times reported on the same day that the four girls were now comfortably settled in the government-provided home, following Braithwaite’s visit to Fiji in 1983. They were employed and receiving salaries to manage their living expenses, with ACROD contributing an additional $50 weekly to supplement their earnings.
Monthly records of their spending were forwarded to ACROD’s headquarters in Canberra, while the house itself was provided at no cost by the government. Among the girls, two had polio, one was a paraplegic, and the fourth was deaf. Modifications were made to the house to accommodate their specific disabilities.
Mrs. Braithwaite emphasized that the home would only support a small number of residents to avoid an institutional feel. “The whole objective is to train these older girls to live in a proper home on their own,” she stated, adding that they would have the freedom to rent their own flats in the future if they chose.
During her visit in 1983, Mrs. Braithwaite noted a male bias in government-funded initiatives, recognizing an urgent need for housing for the older girls. After seeking assistance from the national council for women and the Fijian government, a house became available.
“We returned this year to see how the project had progressed, and it is gratifying to witness their happiness and greater independence,” she expressed. Edith Paul, who accompanied Mrs. Braithwaite, highlighted that ACROD, established in 1962, provides disability services across Australia, East Asia, and the Pacific. The organization is affiliated with 300 associations linked to its Canberra office and receives over $240,000 in annual aid from the Australian government. Additionally, it trains teachers and supports disability services in Fiji.