Better policies on education, health for disabled people

                 Blind Vietnamese people

The Vietnam Blind Association on December 23 held a workshop collecting ideas to serve the supplementation and adjustment of policies and laws on health and education for people with disabilities (PWDs).

The event is part of a project on raising legal awareness and aid on labour, employment, enforcement of administrative procedures in health and education for PWDs funded by the European Union through the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund (JIFF) whose governing body is the Ministry of Justice.

Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Chief of Office of the Vietnam National Committee for People with Disabilities Dinh Thi Thuy affirmed that both health and education play an important role in the lives of disabled people; therefore, policies on these two areas will have direct effects on them.

However, there are still regulations that do not suit reality, she noted, adding that the results of the workshop will help complete the proposal to amend and supplement the Law on People with Disabilities as well as several policies on education and health care for them in the time to come.

Ta Ngoc Tri, deputy head of the Ministry of Education and Training’s steering committee on education for children with disabilities and those living in difficulties, said that society's awareness about education for PWDs has changed in a positive direction, thus helping them feel more confident.

He proposed devising a new concept on PWDs, having a representative of the Ministry of Education and Training in the council of determining the disability level, and considering allowances and benefits for disabled students to meet their actual needs.

The Vietnam Blind Association suggested issuing a policy on supporting health insurance for people with mild disabilities to help them access better health care, while health insurance for people with severe and especially severe disabilities should cover more high-tech treatment and functional rehabilitation equipment.

It also proposed adjusting or removing the age limit for entering school for people with disabilities, and expanding education forms for them./.