This paper examines the current state of disability support in Papua New Guinea, where an estimated one million citizens - 10 to 15 per cent of the population - live with disability. Despite progressive commitments, including the National Policy on Disability 2015-2025 and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it finds a stark policy-practice divide: only around 2 per cent of persons with disabilities access formal support services, physical infrastructure is largely inaccessible, cultural stigma persists, and weak institutional capacity limits implementation. Women, children and rural communities face compounded disadvantage.

Drawing on a comprehensive literature review and policy analysis, the paper also identifies emerging opportunities, including moves to fast-track disability legislation, the revitalisation of disabled persons' organisations and growing self-advocacy. It proposes a strategy across five themes - strengthening legal and policy implementation, improving service access, fostering cultural change, building institutional capacity, and promoting inclusive communities - arguing that disability inclusion is both a rights imperative and a development necessity.