The event, running until November 11, is designed to narrow the digital gap between youths of the participating nations through the enhancement of IT skills, as well as bolster disabled children’s engagement in social activities.

GITC is being held every year in the Asia- Pacific region, with such events held in the past in countries like the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The event is host to around 300 participants, including 120 young people with disabilities from 24 Asia-Pacific nations.

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Scene at the Global Information Technology Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC), which is underway in New Delhi, India

Speaking at the opening ceremony on November 9, President of Rehabilitation International Korea Kim In-kyu, the event’s sponsor and co-organiser, said that IT devices can help people, and especially youth, with disabilities interact with the world and gain access to opportunities otherwise reserved for their able-bodied peers. 

An IT forum was held at the event, in which countries presented their work and achievements in ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities in the IT sector.

Addressing the seminar, representative of Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Technology Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong said that there are nearly 7 million disabled people living across Vietnam, accounting for 7.8 percent of the country’s population.

Vietnam signed the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and issued the Law on Persons with Disabilities two years later. The country is striving to perfect its laws and policies to further promote the rights of people with disabilities, she noted.

Source: VNA