Disability remains a critical human rights, public health, and development concern globally and in Nigeria, with persons with disabilities (PWDs in rural communities experiencing compounded exclusion due to poverty, stigma, weak infrastructure, and limited access to services. In Rivers State, particularly outside the urban centres of Port Harcourt City and Obio-Akpor LGAs, there is a significant lack of empirical evidence on the lived experiences, quality of life, and disability rights awareness of PWDs. This gap has continued to limit effective policy implementation, advocacy, and inclusive development programming. The research is a systematic mixed-methods inquiry examining the intersection of disability rights awareness, socio-cultural realities, and quality of life among PWDs across ten selected rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State: Omuma, Ogu-Bolo, Ahoada West, Etche, Oyibo, Okrika, Eleme, Khana, Abua-Odual, and Ikwerre. Using a mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 144 persons with disabilities using standardized quality-of-life measures (WHOQOL-BREF), while qualitative methods captured in-depth lived experiences and sociocultural perspectives. Key findings reveal that respondents were predominantly middle-aged adults (36–55 years), with a higher proportion of men (66.7%) than women (33.3%). Mobility impairment was the most prevalent disability type (75.7%), and a significant proportion acquired disability during childhood or adulthood, often due to preventable causes linked to inadequate healthcare access. Care and support were largely informal and familybased, highlighting the absence of structured community or government support systems. Across the four WHOQOL-BREF domains, respondents reported moderate quality of life overall, with the environmental domain scoring the lowest. Dissatisfaction was most pronounced in access to transportation, healthcare, assistive devices, accessible infrastructure, financial resources, and information. Psychological well-being was also adversely affected by stigma, discrimination, and limited psychosocial support. While family relationships provided some social support, broader community participation remained constrained. Disability rights awareness among respondents was generally low. Experiences of discrimination in public spaces, religious settings, employment, and community decision-making were frequently reported, underscoring the persistent gap between policy commitments and lived realities in rural contexts. The study identified key factors negatively affecting quality of life, including entrenched stigma and harmful cultural beliefs, economic vulnerability, limited access to assistive technologies, weak government presence at the community level, and inaccessible physical and social environments. Qualitative findings further highlighted themes of resilience amidst hardship, social exclusion rooted in cultural interpretations of disability, systemic barriers to inclusion, and the empowering role of family support, peer networks, disability groups, and faith-based organizations. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that while persons with disabilities in rural Rivers State exhibit resilience and agency, their quality of life and enjoyment of rights remain significantly constrained by structural, cultural, and institutional barriers. The findings provide critical evidence to inform advocacy, policy reform, and programme design, and reinforce the urgent need for rights-based, community-driven, and inclusive interventions. Strengthening disability rights awareness, improving access to assistive devices and services, activating local government disability structures, and challenging harmful cultural norms are essential steps toward improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in rural Rivers State.