December 02, 2017 | 20:24 (GMT+7)
Hanoi meeting marks Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities
A meeting took place in Hanoi on December 2 in celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), drawing the participation of more than 300 disabled people in the capital and surrounding localities.
The event was co-organized by the National Committee for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) and the Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of the Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and NCPD Vice President Dao Hong Lan said Vietnam is one of the countries with a high rate of people with disabilities in Asia-Pacific with nearly 8 million disabled people, or 7.8 percent of total population, including 1.2 million children.
Most of the Vietnamese disabled face difficulties in their lives, especially those who are Agent Orange/dioxin victims, she added.
Over the past time, Vietnam has issued many policies and action programs to improve the living standards for this group. Thanks to these, people with disabilities have been provided with social allowances, housing, education, health care, vocational training, employment and preferential loans.
However, support has yet come to all people in need, she said, adding that many disabled persons have failed to access job opportunities and social services.
The meeting offers a chance for State agencies, organizations and individuals to accompany people with disabilities, sharing love and responsibility with them, she noted.
This year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities takes the theme of “Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Society for All”.
Source: VNA