|
|
Main : Contributions
: VietnamICT Policy Report
Vietnam
Pham Xuan Thanh
Hanoi,
Saturday, February 8, 2003
I. The Characteristic of disabled people in Vietnam
Disabled people are part of community, which is requiring support from the whole
society. According to servey on disabled people situation in Vietnam by Ministry of Labor
Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of persons with disabilities is high in proportion
of nearly 7% of total population, approximately 5 millions people. The specific numbers
are:
Diving on group of ages:
- Under 16 years of age: 16%
- 16 to 55 years of age: 60%
- Over 55 years of age: 24%
Diving on the main disabling conditions:
- Physical: 34.13 %
- Visuals : 25.70 %
- Psychiatric: 13.93 %
- Hearing : 9.21 %
- Mentality: 9.11%
- Linguistical: 7.92 %
The main reason that caused disabling:
- Illness: 35.75 %
- Congenital: 34.15%
- Sequel of war: 19.07%
- Traffic accident: 5.53%
- Injury at work and others: 5.50%
II. The living standard and need of disabled people
1. The living standard
The living standard of families of disabled people is almost low. Most of disabled
people live with their families.
2. Education and Jobs
There are about 35.8 percent of disabled people to be illiterate.
Unemployment rates remain at high levels among Viet nam's disabled people, who lack
opportunities to take part in vocational training.
Statistics from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs suggest there around
five million disabled people nation-wide, half of whom are willing and able to take on a
job. But only 20-25 per cent of disabled people receive vocational training, and even
fewer than that have stable jobs, according to the General Department of Vocational
training (GDVT) . The country has only two regular vocational training centers for
disabled people: the National Vocational Training School No.1(NVTS No.1) in northern Ha
Tay Province and the National Vocational Training School No.2 (NVTS No.2) in HCM City.
Since they were set up in 1984, these two schools have trained nearly 4,000 disabled
people. Some other cities and province also have vocational training centers, which
provide training for about 200 disabled people a year. But option are few at these
schools. Most students are trained to become tailors, carpenters, welder, motorbike
mechanics, electricians, and electronics repairmen.
A 1998 servey suggest between 37-58 per cent of the school's graduates are employed
with stable income. The big problem with vocational training for disabled is a shortage of
funds.
3. Overview of laws, policies, and affirmative action for disabled people
With many socio-economic difficulties, it is impossible to implement system of
regulations like other developing countries, step-by-step implementations is realistic
with priorities (some standards should be enforced first, some are mandatory and some are
only recommendation).
Assistance for persons with disabilities takes various forms: a living allowance;
medical assistance; orthopaedics and rehabilitation; assistance in education an vocational
training; job creation; help with production or business; and recreational activities such
as sports and music education.
Tens of VND billions have been mobilized to create jobs for persons with disabilities.
More than 38 per cent of persons with severe disabilities have been given regular support,
and 200 centres for social welfare have been established throughout the country.
In the Labour Code of Vietnam, it is stipulated that all businesses are responsible for
employing persons with disabilities, who should comprise 2-3 per cent of their total work
force. Should any business fall short, a portion of profit will be transferred to Fund to
Assist Employment for Persons with Disabilities.
To date, 400 production and business workshops have been established. They are managed
by disabled people and employ over 14,500 disabled workers. These workshops have been
assisted by by the Government to the tune of VND 14 billion. Many of them have thrived,
ensuring high incomes for their employees and remitting VND billions to the State budget.
III. Nation policies relating to ICT, development and persons with disabilities
1. Overview of ICT application in Vietnam
The total value of Vietnam's ICT market in 1997, 1998 and 1999 was US$ 156 million, US$
180 million and US$ 195 million, respectively. It is estimated to reach US$ 235 million in
2000, in which hardware accounts for 80%, software for 8% and service for 12%.
Currently, all over the country, there are about 300 ICT companies, 20 ICT faculties in
universities, above 20,000 people with ICT graduate degree, among whom about 10,000 people
are working in ICT professional units(ICT companies, R&D, ICT education and training,
etc. )
A large proportion of ICT activities in country in the past 5 year belong to those of
the National Program on IT (NPIT) for 1996-2000. NPIT has focused on the following key
contents:
- Implementing major IT application projects in State managerment and in some
socio-economic areas: A number of specialized management information systems and those
providing sevices such as finance, banking, statistics, pricing, commerce, tourism,
culture, education, health care, science and technology, customs aviation, post and
telecommunications, energy, national security and defense, have been established.
- Developing resource and IT infrastructure to make the national IT industry capable of
implementing computerization projects and being utilized more widely and intensively in
socio-economic areas.
- Developing the initial foundation for the national IT industry.
2. Overview of ICT usage by disabled people
Because the living levels of families of disabled people in Vietnam are almost low, so
affection of ICT to disabled people could not be great. There are not so many disabled
people that have enough conditions to come in for great achievement of ICT.
There were very few activities that used ICT to support disabled people in their lives.
There were very few disabled people to trained ICT usage. They were trained in school,
vocational centers and clubs of disabled people.
There were very few the disabled with low development of intelligence to be able to
play computer games.
There not special equipments for blind to operate computer, so the blind were not be
able to communicate with computer.
The disabled with difficulties in speaking and writing but normal development of
intelligence, who can operate keyboard or stylus can come in for the great achievements of
ICT. Some of them in the city, who has good conditions now can play computer games,
communicate, express their opinions, and work effectively. They can use email and chat to
talk with others. They can also use computer professionally.
3. IT laws and policies for disabled people
At present, Vietnam has not had IT laws and policies for disabled people . We hope that
we will learn the experience of Interregional Seminar and Regional Demonstration Workshop
at Manila to build ICT laws and policies for disabled people.
The Government's aid measures were based on the 1998 Ordinance on Disabled, which
states that " the State shall encourage and create favourable conditions for the
disabled to play an equal role in political, economic, cultural and social life of nation,
and shall promote their abilities and facilitate their integration into the community.
" This ordinance had helped provide assistance in many formto the disabled, but the
Government should have clear and concrete ICT policies.
Information and communication technology, which is one of most important motivations of
development, together with some other high technology branches, are making the economy,
culture and society of the modern world change significantly. ICT are changing and
improving the living standard, the living style of people. It is also a tool for function
rehabilitation. Although ICT has very important benefits, but based on the living standard
of disabled people and economic condition of Vietnam, it is very difficult to apply ICT
achievement for disabled people. So that, the aid actions of Government, Non-government
organizations, foreign groups and individuals and Overseas Vietnam is very Important.
Disabled people should also make the effort to continuously improve himself/ herself.
The Government should have clear and concrete policies to encourage research, design,
and development ICT products for disabled people. To do that, the Government should
encourage, create favorable conditions, and support for organizations to research, to
design, and to develop ICT products for disabled people (such as investment, tax free, tax
reduction, etc).
Government should encourage, create favorable conditions, and support for Expanding
types of ICT training for disabled people.
Return to top |
