Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Can Tho (VNA) – A conference was held in Mekong delta Can Tho city on March 10 to launch a Norway-funded project on social integration for people with disabilities in the 2017-2020 period.
It was jointly organized by the Can Tho Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Vietnam Union of Associations of People with Disabilities (VUAPD) and the Can Tho Association of People with Disabilities (CTAPD).
The 451,000-USD project, which is funded by the Norway Mission Alliance via the VUAPD, aims to expand the network and enhance the role and influence of people with disabilities and the CTAPD.
The project is divided into two stages. The first stage, from 2017-2018, the project will focus on helping establish district-level associations and improve capabilities for the associations’ employees.
In the second stage, from 2019-2020, the project looks to address education needs of children with disabilities and create incomes, and improve living conditions for people with disabilities via livelihood models, job creation and mobilised local resources and enterprises’ social responsibility contributions.
Speaking at the conference, Dr. Dang Huynh Mai, President of the VUAPD, said people with disabilities still face many obstacles in accessing health care, transport, education services, as well as discrimination in society.
The project is necessary to help ensure basic rights for the people, raising public awareness of them and encourage them to take part in production and contribute to the community.
According to the plan, the project will begin on March 11, 2017, and last until December 3, 2020. It will be first implemented in Ninh Kieu district before expanding to other districts.
At the end of March, it will open vocational training courses for people with disabilities based on local enterprises’ demand. The programme is implemented in six months.
In April, the project will organise three training classes on integration and equality for people with disabilities as well as employees of relevant local agencies.-VNA
