Capital sets up associations, support systems for disabled

HA NOI — The Ha Noi People’s Committee held a workshop on Saturday on the establishment of district-level associations for the disabled, in a move to create more favourable conditions for people with disabilities to integrate further into society.

Associations for the disabled would represent people with disabilities in all districts across the city, and work to help improve both their material and spiritual life, said head of the Ha Noi association for the disabled Vu Manh Hung.

These associations would work to ameliorate the living conditions of people with disabilities by providing vocational training and creating jobs, as well as enriching their spiritual lives through leisure activities such as sports and sight-seeing, thus helping them gain more independence and confidence in society, he said.

“I’ve never had the chance to join any associations for the disabled. My friends and I only gather together informally to meet and talk. We all hope that these associations will be set up and will help us to gain access to better job opportunities, public activities and individual assistance,” said Nguyen Van Ho, in Long Bien District.

The move was part of the capital’s plan to support people with disabilities during the 2006-10 period, which received the green light from the Prime Minister in October 2006, according to the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

The plan will focus on providing allowances, health checkups and treatments, education, vocational training and jobs for local people with disabilities.

Ha Noi is currently home to nearly 29,000 disabled people. —