Vietnam’s National Coordinating Council for Disabilities (NCCD) officially announced the opening of its new website at http://nccd.molisa.gov.vn in Hanoi on June 15.

The website will post news, events, and policies relating to disabled people as well information on priority issues such as vocational training, employment, allowances, education and health care.

When speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Nguyen Trong Dam, Head of the NCCD, said that the website will not only enable people with disabilities to access all kinds of information but will also be an effective way of publicising the Law on the Disabled, which is expected to be adopted at the on-going 7th session of the 12th National Assembly.

According to MoLISA, the country now has more than 5 million disabled people, accounting for over 6 percent of its population. Over the past few years, the Party and State have issued several policies on the disabled and many domestic and overseas organisations and individuals have taken part in a wide range of activities to support disabled people.

Thanks to the legislation, millions of disabled people now receive a regular allowance, which helps them to improve their material and spiritual lives. Many of those who have overcome their difficulties have gone on to become first class entrepreneurs, engineers and social activists.

Vietnam signed up to the UN’s convention on the rights of disabled people and has also introduced a Vietnamese Day for Disabled People (April 18) which underlines the country’s commitment to acknowledge the disabled and provide them with support./.