(VOVworld) – Vietnam has about 7 million persons with disabilities, 4 million of whom are of working age. In recent years the Vietnamese government has adopted policies to help disabled people get an education and find a job they can do.

The HCM City-based Disabilities Research and Capacity Development (DRD) Centre and the Transport Management and Operation Centre provided training to the staff and managers of 22 transport companies on November 23, 2016, in helping disabled people get into and off buses. (Photo: DRD Centre)

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transportation has worked to make it easier for persons with disabilities to travel by bus.

Low, easy to enter doors and assistants are provided to help disabled people get on. Public buses are equipped with mechanical lifts or ramps and the first two rows of seats are reserved for the disabled.

Le Hoang Minh, the department’s deputy head, says an additional 300 buses with easier access are being put into operation, adding “We are calling on the entire society to help bus drivers and bus assistants provide the best possible public bus service for the disabled.”

According to Minh, the department “will work with the municipal Disabled People’s Association to create programs to help the disabled participate in social activities.”

Programs implemented to help disabled people include campaigns to improve public awareness of the rights of the disabled. The number one priority is creating jobs that will give them a stable income. Job fairs and training courses are two activities that the jobs initiative.

Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, a member of the Hanoi Disabled People’s Association, says: “The State has helped people with disabilities by providing more access to information and technology. I hope in the future more enterprises will employ disabled people.”

Duong Thi Van, the Association’s Chairwoman, says job fairs are an opportunity for businesses to help people with disabilities.

“Through job fairs, we hope to change the awareness of people and enterprises to create a society with fewer obstacles and more respect for disabled people. We want businesses to see their abilities instead of their handicaps,” said Van.

As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Vietnam has created a legal system that ensures the rights of the disabled, helps them improve living conditions, and increases their social status.

Phung Xuan Quy, President of Quang Tri’s Disabled People’s Association, says: “We hope the authorities at all levels will increase communications nationwide on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Vietnam’s Law on People With Disabilities. The State should promulgate more support policies that generate jobs for the disabled and vocational training programs to prepare them for jobs so they can integrate into the community with confidence.”