VietNamNet Bridge – Around one third of the 7 million people living with disabilities in Viet Nam needed vocational training and employment, but faced obstacles such as transportation and inadequate support from employers, social welfare officials have said.

Visually-impaired people learn how to weave rattan at the northern province of Hoa Binh's Long Thanh Vocational Training Centre. Statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs say that one third of the 7 million people in Viet Nam with disabilities need vocational training and jobs.

Nguyen Van Hoi, head of the Department of Social Protection under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, made this remark at a job fair for disabled people held on Tuesday in Ha Noi.

Hoi said despite the determination of people with disabilities to become independent and integrate with society, most of them faced an uphill struggle to find good jobs or vocational training.

"Even when they get jobs, the payment is very low," said Hoi.

The official called for a co-operation among authorities and enterprises to find comprehensive solutions to help disabled people.

"The Government and local authorities need to provide more incentives for enterprises that employ disabled people," said Hoi.

Hoi also appealed to enterprises to improve their social responsibility for employees with disabilities by providing them jobs with convenient working conditions.

Nguyen Thi Chau Loan, vice chairwoman of the Thanh Tri Association of People with Disabilities, agreed with Hoi, saying that many disabled people were very professional at work but had to depend on help from others to perform basic daily tasks.

Loan said disabled people wanted to be accepted by society, but many jobs did not have the facilities to accommodate them, so they were forced to quit after a short time.

Trinh Xuan Dung, vice chairman of the Ha Noi Association of People with Disabilities, said providing loans for disabled people to start their own household businesses had proven effective.

Dung said VND8 billion (nearly US$380.000) had been loaned to 425 disabled households for them to invest in small scale enterprises, cultivation and husbandry.

Each household received VND1 million and they all repaid the money on time, said Dung.

However, Dung admitted the number of disabled people with access to these loans was still limited.

He said that 425 was a small number compared to the 9,000 disabled people in need of support in the capital.

Viet Nam has one of the world's highest rates of people living with disabilities.

Almost eight per cent of the country's population has a disability.

Historically, people with disabilities in Viet Nam have experienced reduced access to education and employment opportunities, particularly those living in rural areas.

However, the Government has been working closely with a number of domestic and overseas organisations, including UNICEF, USAID and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to promote a more inclusive society within Viet Nam, and to bring it in line with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The National Action Plan to Support People with Disabilities (2012-2020) is currently working on improving accessibility to public buildings and transportation, early intervention, inclusive education, and medical and legal services. It also aims to provide vocational training and employment for 250,000 people with disabilities.

VNS