Delegates participate in the conference on the launch of the study "Assessment of disability inclusion in local governance in 2023" held in Hanoi on December 7. (Photo courtesy of UNDP Vietnam) The UN Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with the MekongDevelopment Research Institute (MDRI), on December 7 presented key findings ofthe study "Assessment of Disability Inclusion in Local Governance in2023."
Addressing broader issues of disability inclusion in publicadministration and services, the study highlights critical challenges in twokey themes: access to information and responses to natural disasters.
This comprehensive study conducted from July to November 2023,offers invaluable insights into the state of disability inclusion in Vietnam'slocal governance.
It is part of the UNDP flagship PAPI research programme (the VietnamProvincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index) and issupported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(DFAT).
The study showed that only 5.3% of respondents who are affected bydisasters have had a chance to express concerns about local disaster riskmanagement in the past five years.
The regions that are most affected by the natural disasters offloods, storms/tornadoes, droughts, hail and landslide are North Central Coast,Northern Midlands & Mountains, and Central Highlands.
Among PWDs, 24.5% were affected by natural disasters and most ofthe affected PWDs rated the impact of the disasters as “severe” or “extremelysevere”.
This low engagement was attributed, in part, to a shortage ofaccessible information regarding disaster warnings.
At present, the channels of warning are television, localloudspeakers, families/neighbours and local officials.
However, of the 38.5% of PWDs not receiving warnings,disaggregated by disability type, mental and psychiatric and intellectual PWDsaccount for the highest rates of 21.1 and 23.6, respectively.
The hearing-and-speech and visual PWDs are also the groups facingdifficulty accessing warning channels of TV and local loudspeakers.
The findings underscore the urgent need for improved communicationstrategies in disaster preparedness to ensure the safety and well-being ofpersons with disabilities.
The research team recommended that it is necessary to integrateaccessible information dissemination methods for PWDs in the natural disasterrisk response process.
Township-level governments and local associations shouldstrengthen their role in supporting PWDs in responding to natural disasterrisks, and in being a two-way information channel connecting PWDs and localauthorities.
The participation of PWDs in responding to disaster risks throughlocal organisations, associations, and groups of PWDs should also be enhanced.
The relevant agencies should further organise training for PWDs onhow to prevent and respond to natural disaster risks in frequently affectedareas.
Along with low level of engagement disaster risk management, thePDWs also face discrepancies in disability classification.
The assessment revealed a significant disparity in disabilityclassification, with individuals falling under the sixth category,"other," surpassing those in the remaining five categories by 1.5 totwo times.
The lack of proper certification for these disabilities hasemerged as a major hindrance, impeding persons with disabilities (PWDs) fromaccessing their rights and entitlements.
The study also showed that the PWDs had digital challenges inadministrative processes.
More than 20% of respondents encountered obstacles in conductingadministrative processes on public e-portals.
Factors such as insufficient digital skills, the absence of smartdevices, platform inaccessibility, and unsynchronised databases in the digitaltransformation were identified as key contributors.
This digital divide forces many PWDs to rely on caregivers orOrganisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to access essential socialwelfare information.
UNDP Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi underscored theimportance of policy implementation, emphasising a people-centred approach asthe pre-requisite.
“To enhance policy implementation, it is crucial to prioritisefurther awareness raising and provide training on disability inclusion inadministrative procedures and public services for local authorities, personswith disabilities, and their representative organisations," Khalidi said.
The launch of the assessment coincides with the International Dayof Persons with Disabilities on December 3, amplifying voices of people withdisabilities: focusing on the perspectives of PWDs in local public services andadministrative procedures.
It also calls for actions to improve disability inclusion, urgingstakeholders to take tangible steps in enhancing disability inclusion in localpublic governance to align with Sustainable Development Goal 16 on promotingjust, peaceful, and inclusive societies./.
VNA
