APEC 2017: Promoting rights, benefits of the disabled shared

During the GoFD meeting in Hanoi on May 9 as part of the second APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 2) and related meetings, Diep said the outcomes have laid important foundation, marking the official coordination in the framework of APEC on issues relating to the people with disabilities in economic development.

In 2015, Vietnam had some seven million people with disabilities, accounting for 7-8 percent of the population.

The Vietnam Disability Law, which became effective in 2011, has showed the efforts of the State, families and the society to create equal opportunities as well as ensure the rights and benefits of people with disabilities in fields, including health care, education, vocational training and employment; facilitate their access to services in terms of culture, sports, housing, public transport, information and communication technology, and telecommunication.

The Deputy Minister expressed his hope that in the upcoming meetings in the APEC 2017 framework, Vietnam and other APEC economies will share experience in promoting the rights and benefits of the disabled.