The Disable's Accessible chance to social security policies are enhanced

28/08/2024 10:30 AM


Vietnam’s social security model has proved to be preeminent and suitable to the country’s socio-economic conditions as well as its development toward socialism. Over the years, ensuring rights for people with disabilities has received great attention from the Party and State. There are now numerous policies and legal regulations providing favorable conditions for them to enjoy equal rights to politic, economic, cultural and social activities, stabilize their lives, and integrate into the community.

In 2007, Vietnam signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with an aim to protect and promote their rights, ensuring that PwDs enjoy all fundamental rights of humans in an equal and full manner, and their dignity is respected.

The 2013 Constitution expanded the subject of PwDs receiving State support regardless of their conditions. Meanwhile, many legal documents have been issued to protect PwDs rights, including the Law of PwDs in 2010.

Under the law, along with fundamental rights of citizens, the PwDs are guaranteed to rights to participate on an equal basis in social activities, live independently, and integrate into the community. They can enjoy exemption from or reduction of certain contributions to social activities. PwDs can also be provided with health care, functional rehabilitation, education, vocational training, employment, legal assistance, access to public facilities, means of transport, information technology, and other services suitable to their forms and degrees of disability as provided by law.

In 2019, Vietnam ratified the International Labor Organization (ILO)'s Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of persons with disabilities. This further affirmed Vietnam's commitment to ensuring that workers with disabilities are not discriminated against in terms of work and employment. This convention is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Incheon Strategy on realizing the rights of people with disabilities effectively.

Also in 2019, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat issued Directive No. 39 on strengthening the Party leadership over PwDs affairs, asking organizations, agencies and individuals to enhance the awareness and responsibility to PwDs, and stressing the requirements to ensure their rights.

A program to support PwDs in the 2021-2030 period was also issued by the Prime Minister, along with a plan to realize the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
there are currently 1,900 vocational education institutions nationwide engaged in vocational training for people with disabilities, with 3,000 teachers who directly provide vocational training for this particular group of workers. Vocational training and job creation for PwDs have been clearly specified in the program to assist PwDs in the 2021-2030 period.

Thanks to the support, the living conditions of PwDs have been greatly improved. To date, more than 90 percent of the families with members being PwDs have escaped from poverty, while nearly 90 percent of the children with disabilities have accessed schooling.

Recently, A conference reviewing the results of a project on expanding opportunities and improving the status for the disabled for the 2021-2024 period was jointly organised by the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Thua Thien-Hue province and the Action to the Community Development Institute (ACDC) contributed the Disable's Accessible chance to social security policies are enhanced. The project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) via ACDC with a total budget of more than 4.5 billion VND (178,790 USD).

In his remarks at the conference, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh suggested that units and localities in the province continue to promote communication work, along with the implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's law on supporting people with disabilities.

They were urged to replicate the models brought about by the project, devise plans to upgrade public and transport infrastructure to ensure the disabled's access to those facilities, improve the quality of health, educational and social services, and create an environment sensitive to those in need. Attention should also be paid to supervising the implementation of support policies for the target group, he added.

Ho Dan, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said through its activities, the project has contributed to enhancing the disabled's knowledge and skills, improving their access to health and legal services, public works, and transport facilities, increasing their participation in family and society, and stepping up the implementation of policies on independent living, integration, and non-discrimination against people with disabilities.

He noted that over 3,000 persons with disabilities have benefited from the project during the three years. Specifically, 10 accessible bus routes, with 42 new vehicles, were put into operation for those with disabilities as well as locals. The project organised reproductive health check-ups for more than 300 disabled women, and four training courses on gender-based violence prevention and control for over 140 people with disabilities and caregivers. Also included were courses on independent living and integration for 131 disabled persons and their families.

*** The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent federal agency that provides civilian aid to foreign countries. By providing development and humanitarian assistance, the agency aims to further American interests abroad while improving lives in the developing world.Understanding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law and created USAID by executive order. The agency is tasked with administering the federal government's civilian foreign aid programs, which include disaster relief, technical assistance, poverty alleviation, and economic development.1

While USAID is independent, it is subject to the guidance of the President, the Secretary of State, and the National Security Council. The agency's administrator and deputy administrator are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

USAID is responsible for implementing more than $20 billion in combined annual appropriations, most of which come from the U.S. State Department. The agency provides assistance to more than 120 countries. The top 10 recipients, in order of funding, are: Jordan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Syria, South Sudan, Kenya, and Iraq. Sub-Saharan Africa receives 39% of USAID distributions, with the majority of funding going toward health and humanitarian efforts.

PV