Free postage for the visually impaired

THE Fiji Human Rights Commission has secured a limited deal with Post Fiji Ltd for free postage for the visually impaired.

The free service was previously limited to members of the Fiji Society for the Blind.
After the commission pursued the matter with the company, it was agreed that all disabled persons can take advantage of the privilege.

"Postal rates and conditions currently provide that blind persons can send a maximum of seven kilograms of literature for the blind to any destination in Fiji or abroad via surface mail free of charge," said the commission's spokeswoman Shobna Decloitre.

"However, this provision is not widely known and therefore not widely used. Consequently, visually impaired persons are denied access to postal services."

After receiving a complaint on postal concessions for the blind and following consultations with Post Fiji and stakeholders, all parties agreed that existing postal services for the blind could be better implemented so that all blind persons benefited from the provisions.