International Day of Persons with Disabilities marked in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the State and the community have helped people with disabilities have a stable life, access education and vocational training, and find a suitable job.

Vietnam will mark this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a range of activities including a ceremony and a forum in Hanoi called “Listening to the Voice of People with Disabilities.”

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi, who is also Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Committee for People with Disabilities, said, "Vietnam has about 7 million people with disabilities, more than 7% of the population and one of the highest percentage in the Asia-Pacific region. People with severe disabilities comprise nearly 29% and about 10% of people with disabilities are poor."

"Most people with disabilities in Vietnam live in rural areas and have difficult lives, especially those affected by the spraying of Agent Orange/dioxin during the war. Thanks to the support of the Party, State, and the community, many of them have improved their lives." noted Mr. Hoi.

Vietnam has a relatively comprehensive system of policies and laws to help people with disabilities. In addition to the Constitution and the Law on People with Disabilities, there atr the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, the Law on Health Insurance, the Law on Education, and the Law on Vocational Training.

Vietnam ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2014 and the International Labor Organization's Convention 159 on occupational re-adaptation and employment for people with disabilities affirming the country’s commitment to ensuring that workers with disabilities are not discriminated against in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Inchoen Strategy on realizing the rights of persons with disabilities in the most effective way.

Ms. Ramla Khalid, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said, "UNDP is happy to share our experience in creating an inclusive working environment with government partners and enterprises to tap into the talent pool of Vietnamese persons with disabilities. We're also delighted to support capacity building for the government officials and organizations with persons with disabilities to strengthen your ability to make the rights of the person with disabilities a reality in Vietnam."

Vietnam has implemented disability classification and issued disability certificates for nearly 3 million people. More than 1.1 million people with disabilities receive a monthly social allowance.

In the coming years, Vietnam will continue to fully implement the provisions of the Constitution and the laws concerning people with disabilities, as well as international commitments that Vietnam has signed.