Wednesday, 30/09/2020 17:43 (GMT+7)
Carrying out humanitarian activities, including projects to support people with disabilities, has been one of the US Government priorities in Vietnam for many years.
USAID has been supporting Vietnamese people with disabilities. (Photo: NDO)
According to a recent report by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), during the past 30 years, the US government has contributed more than USD125 million to activities to support people with disabilities in Vietnam through cooperative programs and projects with Vietnamese Government agencies and social organizations throughout the country.
USAID's support has helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people with disabilities, the report says. Accordingly, more than 30,000 people with disabilities have received direct support in terms of assistance tools, rehabilitation services, vocational training and education support, housing repairs, improved ability to make a living, legal advice and/or job creation assistance.
Moreover, USAID has coordinated with local authorities to implement the Law on Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and supports the development of laws improving accessibility for people with disabilities in public facilities and transportation, as well as to increase access to information and modern technologies.
In the next phase, USAID will continue to support people with disabilities in Vietnam through 8 projects, aiming to expand rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, enhance social support, improve policies on persons with disabilities and reduce environmental barriers. People with disabilities-related organizations in Vietnam will also receive financial and technical support from these projects.
According to survey data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced in 2019, 7% of the Vietnamese population who are 2 years of age or older (about 6.2 million people) are people with disabilities. In addition, 13% of the population (nearly 12 million people) lives in households with people with disabilities./.
Compiled by BTA