Kiwi organisation helping Pacific people living with disabilities ‘fully engage in everyday life’

Individuals with disabilities face daunting challenges in Pacific Island nations.

According to the Pacific Community (SPC), there are approximately 1.7 million people in the Pacific living with disabilities.

Limited access to essential resources, a shortage of qualified professionals, and inadequate equipment have created significant barriers to inclusion.

But amid these obstacles, New Zealand-based organisation Altus Resource Trust, soon to be known as Altus Pacific Aid, is committed to empowering disabled communities throughout the region.

"Our focus is on addressing the unique challenges faced by disabled individuals across the islands," the organisation's managing director Sue Donnell said.

Altus collaborates with local groups to upskill healthcare workers and provide essential equipment, ensuring that support is tailored to the specific needs of each community.

The organisation has worked with local people in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

"We don't think it would work if we just took over and did our own thing. It is about collaborating and responding to the community's needs," Donnell said.

Each year, Altus organises volunteer trips to the islands, where dedicated therapists and technicians assess the individual needs of both children and adults and deliver vital resources.

Recently, a team visited the Mango Tree Centre for Disabilities in Tonga, fitting individuals for specialised wheelchairs.

"Most of the work we do is at the complex end of things," Donnell notes.

The variety of wheelchairs they provide are primarily specialist - lightweight ones for spinal cord injuries, postural ones for cerebral palsy.

Donnell describes a typical day on the most recent, week-long trip to Tonga, as diverse and dynamic.

With an amalgamation of wheelchair therapists, wheelchair technicians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, their day begins around 8.30am with morning devotions, followed by the arrival of individuals, primarily children, who come in with their caregivers.

They will be measured for wheelchairs, their needs assessed, and wheelchair therapists will organise all the necessary accessories.

The day often extends well beyond dinner, as the high-calibre therapists, whom Donnell refers to as "leaders", frequently put in extra hours to provide the best care possible.

Beyond this, they also provide housing modifications, such as accessible bathrooms, ramps and paths.

But the work they do is certainly not without its challenges, with funding being a constant struggle as the organisation relies heavily on donations and occasional grants to cover transportation and accommodation costs for volunteers.

"It's very difficult for people to give up their lives to go for a year or even a few months," Donnell said. "Everyone is a volunteer."

But the heart of Altus Resources Trust goes beyond equipment and training.

The organisation is passionate about shifting societal attitudes toward disability.

Donnell said that many individuals in the Pacific Islands experience isolation due to ongoing misconceptions about disability.

She encourages communities to rethink these norms.

"We also urge families to consider how they can include their loved ones with disabilities in their daily activities," she said.

"In New Zealand, we see great participation from people with disabilities in family life, with good accessibility to community spaces.

"We want to show them that they can get up, be in a wheelchair, go outside, attend church, and fully engage in everyday life."