The Union for Disabled People’s Associations will make its debut on March 26 in Hanoi to help people with disabilities further integrate into the community and become engaged in mainstream activities.

Addressing the press briefing on March 22, provisional Deputy President Nguyen Ngoc Lam said the union will also create favourable conditions for communities and disabled people to help each other in daily life.

Together with making contributions, building and boosting the implementation of the State’s regulations on disabilities and the international convention on the rights of people with disabilities, the union will also represent Vietnamese disabled people in international organisations and will attend international cooperation conferences regarding disabled people.

According to the National Coordinating Council for Disabilities under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam is home to 6.7 million disabled people, accounting for 7.8 percent of the population.

In recent years, both Party and State have issued many policies and implemented support programmes for disabled people, many of whom have tried their best to live independently.

To date, 30 cities and provinces nationwide have set up associations for people with disabilities./.