Women handicapped to be prioritized when seeking Gov't support

PM Decision No. 239/2006/QD-TTg, dated October 24, states that the Government will provide health care, education and vocational training for handicapped people free of charge through both State-owned and private providers.

Women will receive preferential treatment when applying for the government assistance.

The plan aims to give at least 70% of disabled people access to health care by 2010 while providing 3,000 handicapped people with orthopaedic surgery and physical therapy. Seventy per cent of children with disabilities are also slated to receive free education.

ln accordance with the decision, at least 80% of Vietnam's provinces and cities will offer self-help groups for the handicapped.

The decision also states that all new public facilities and transportation must be handicap-accessible and that 20 to 30% of existing public facilities must be renovated for handicap access by 2010.

In addition, the plan provides that handicapped people must be allowed to take loans from the National Programme for Poverty Reduction and Employment.

To reach these goals, the decision also highlights the importance of improving conditions for social workers to help them expand their capacity.

Symposium held

The American non-profit group Viet Nam Association for the Handicapped (VNAH) and the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DoLISA) organised a symposium yesterday for representatives of handicap-advocacy groups, employers and State officials to discuss measures to provide jobs for people with disabilities.

Le Thanh Tam, DoLISA director, said that HCM City bad been piloting socialisation programmes sponsoring people with disabilities.

"Many individuals, domestic and foreign organisations have not o­nly provided training courses for the handicapped, but also helped them find jobs enabling them to lead normal lives," Tam said.

He stressed that the socialisation programmes had heightened public awareness and support for people with disabilities.

Various company representatives said that handicapped workers were usually the hardest working and obey company discipline very well.

Oliver Edolsa from the footwear manufacturer ChangShin Vietnam said that his company had hired more than 130 people with different levels of disabilities.

Edolsa said that his company had established a clear communication channel with these workers, provided them with free housing and free physical therapy programmes in addition to other provisions.

As well, Dang Khac Phuc from the Government's District 1 Taxation Branch office praised the software programming abilities of his branch's handicapped staff.

Phuc said that while many other IT graduates refused to work for State-owned administrative agencies because of higher pay at private companies, handicapped graduates eagerly joined his agency and had written eight programmes for taxation management.

Government Decree No. 81/CP, issued November 23, 1995, stipulates that at least two per cent of the staff of heavy industry enterprises must be people with disabilities.

The percentage for other enterprises is at least three per cent. If the figures are not met, the enterprises have to pay a fee for each person they lack.