The Draft National Policy on Disability recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others. It proposes a system of quotas for Government Ministries and the Ministry of Health and Family is to take the lead in this. Some people need equipment and workplace modifications for them to be effective and to work to their full capacity, or to retain a job following an accident. Accessible transport to and from work and accessible workplaces are also critical factors in ensuring people can work. 9.7 Lack of access to information Access to information about available services continues to be a very significant barrier for persons with disabilities. There is a lack of accessible information for persons with disabilities on financial allowances, assistive devices and support available to them. People have a right to information in appropriate formats about the programs and services that are designed for them. However, there used to be a deliberate unwritten policy to make access to information difficult, particularly on eligibility for assistance and the extent of assistance available. The justification given is “the more people know - the more people will seek the available services”. It is highly likely that if people knew about the extent and coverage of essential social security services provided by the government for persons with disabilities, they will utilise ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES the support and services which will improve their quality of life. According to the Situation ... 66 of People with Disabilities in Haa Alifu and Haa Dhaalu June 2008 report “72 percent of individuals with hearing difficulties did not have hearing aids that could potentially improve their quality of life. 54 percent of males and 89 percent of females who had difficulties seeing did not have spectacles. 76 percent of men and 81percent of women, who had a lot of difficulty walking or couldn’t walk, did not have a wheelchair or a tricycle. 47 percent with difficulties seeing had not had their sight tested. 39 of the 61 individuals with emotional problems had not received counselling”. These statistics also pose the question why there is a significant difference between men and women in accessing services. A proper assessment is needed to find out if these differences are caused by factors such as differences in accessibility and information availability. High quality, comparable data on disability that is important for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies are not available. There is overlap in the studies being undertaken on disability situation and the reports of the studies are not widely available. There is limited coordination among agencies that are sponsoring or undertaking the