Challenges and Approaches for Agenda 2030: Perspectives of Persons with Disabilities in a Small Island Context

The "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" was adopted with the intent of bringing about a paradigm shift in the way the general population perceives disability. The paper reports the findings of a qualitative inquiry that used a phenomenological approach to discuss the social grievances of persons with disabilities from a human rights-based perspective and in the context of the middle-income small island nation of The Maldives. Fifteen participants with disabilities, as well as carers and parents of children with disabilities, took part in the study. The findings indicated that the environment is physically disabling, and opportunities for participation, including access to quality education, and social protection for people with disabilities, are limited. The findings speak to the need for a shift in the social view that persons with disabilities are dependants to enabling human diversity and facilitating the capabilities of persons with disability, their dignity and meaningful engagement in society. The paper concludes there is a need to explore further approaches to encouraging a shift in society and using a human rights approach to social protection to make progress towards the "Leave No One Behind Agenda of 2030."