care in Guraidhoo who were discharged but not taken home. Although there are entry and exit policies for residential care at the Home for People with Special Needs, it has proved extremely difficult to implement these policies. 26. For the last ten years, none of the staff at the Home for People with Special Needs were given training opportunities. The staff expressed that they were not able to provide the kind of care required by the beneficiaries simply because they do not know how to provide the care. The poor attention given in the past to staff development at the Home for People with Special Needs is evident from the meagre resources allocated for training. In the 2008 budget US$ 2,543 (Rf32,680) was allocated for the staff development of an institution with 120 staff. The total budget allocated for training was less than US$ 21 per staff per year. 27. Persons with disabilities have to find and retain employment to have an adequate income, so that they can support themselves and lead an independent life, but there are major barriers to employment. The most obvious gap in services provided to persons with disabilities in the Maldives is lack of employment services. There is no evidence of any government organised support or services to persons with disabilities in obtaining jobs. The challenges around employment include discrimination in the labour market and workplace and low expectations and assumptions about what persons with disabilities can and cannot do. 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. 28. 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. 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 the support and services which will improve their quality of life. 29. High quality, comparable data on disability that is important for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies are not available. There is a need for better ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Some persons with disabilities need equipment and workplace modifications for them ... 13