Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan MauDiep praised the outcomes of the meetings of the Group of Friends on Disability (GoFD)organised over the past years.
Duringthe GoFD meeting in Hanoi on May 9 as part of the second APEC Senior OfficialsMeeting (SOM 2) and related meetings, Diep said the outcomes have laidimportant foundation, marking the official coordination in the framework ofAPEC on issues relating to the people with disabilities in economicdevelopment.
In2015, Vietnam had some seven million people with disabilities, accounting for7-8 percent of the population.
TheVietnam Disability Law, which became effective in 2011, has showed the effortsof the State, families and the society to create equal opportunities as well asensure the rights and benefits of people with disabilities in fields, includinghealth care, education, vocational training and employment; facilitate theiraccess to services in terms of culture, sports, housing, public transport,information and communication technology, and telecommunication.
TheDeputy Minister expressed his hope that in the upcoming meetings in the APEC2017 framework, Vietnam and other APEC economies will share experience inpromoting the rights and benefits of the disabled.-VNA