HA NOI, April 14: Thousands of disabled people nationwide are going to be provided with the opportunity to take work and live independently from their families through projects providing financial and technical assistance, according to the Association for the Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans (ASVHO).

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, more than 80 per cent of disabled people aged over 16 years have yet to receive vocational training and 79 per cent of them have to depend on their families' support.

Nguyen Dinh Lieu, chairman of the ASVHO said that providing vocational training and job advice is key to helping disabled people. The courses must be effective and practical so that after finishing their training they can earn a living.

Duong Duc Lan, deputy head of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs' General Department of Vocational Training said that the time periods for the disabled to learn vocational skills will be flexible depending on their physical and intellectual capacity and the teaching and practical parts of the syllabus will be disabled-friendly.

Previously, two central vocational training schools for the disabled existed but they had closed due to their ineffectiveness, said Lan.
To create more effective vocational training courses, the association was seeking out enterprises that both offer training and can provide jobs, said Lieu.

The association was implementing a pilot programme in which participating enterprises would receive financial support of VND2 million (US$105) for each disabled person they provide with training and one year labour contracts, said Lieu.

Enterprises which produce craft and fine art products in Ha Noi, Hai Phong City, and the provinces of Thanh Hoa and Bac Giang would be the main focus of this programme, said Lieu.

Coupled with this, a project which gives comprehensive assistance for the disabled will take place in the 22 poorest communes with the highest ratio of disabled people nationwide, according to Lieu.
This project includes supplying means of transport, providing financial and technical assistance for disabled people and free surgery to minimise their disabilities.

For example, if a disabled person wants breed pigs, they will get financial support and assistance in choosing breeds and livestock rearing.
Nguyen Cong Hung, a disabled person in Ha Noi said that the websites which provide information about jobs or training centres for the disabled should be popularised because they are very useful.

Based on web discussion forums, authorities could also acknowledge the real need of the disabled and develop policies addressing their concerns, said Hung.

Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, a disabled person in Ha Noi said that it was also necessary to encourage and support workshops or enterprises owned by the disabled people themselves because they had a better understanding of the realities disabled people face and that such environments would make it easier for the disabled to work and integrate.

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn