Viet Nam's Disabled Citizens Fight Employment Discrimination
By Kay Schriner (kays@uark.edu)
More than 87% of people with disabilities in Viet Nam who have jobs are employed in unskilled manual labor, prompting concerns that the government is not doing enough to improve opportunities for education and economic advancement.
The 1995 Labour Decree for Disabled People specifies that 2-3% of the nation's disabled citizens are to be employed in state-run organizations, but according to a report in the Viet Nam Times, these organizations often "pay the people off" rather than employ them because, say the organizations, they are unqualified.
Meeting hears testimony on discrimination
A recent meeting convened by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor) featured the testimony of numerous experts who agree that discrimination is a major reason for the lack of opportunity.
A woman named Nguyen Bich Hang, who had polio as a child, did well in school but when she applied to attend a university, a physician noted on her health certificate that she had a "crooked backbone, paralysed legs and curved arm," which would make her ineligible for admission. Luckily for her, a second doctor gave her the required health clearance. Later she graduated among the top students in her class, but could not find employment. Her entrepreneurial spirit prevailed, though, and she has found success as a translator of French publications.
Another individual with polio, Nguyen Anh Dung, encountered the same health restrictions to university admissions. In his case, he decided to become an electrician instead and has found employment with the Giang Vo Electronic Company. He still wants a university education, though, so has entered the evening program at the University of Technology.
These two people have been more successful than most individuals with disabilities in Viet Nam. Of the estimated 3.5 million people there who have disabilities, the vast majority are either underemployed (as in the case of the unskilled manual laborers), or completely unemployed.
Discrimination starts early
The problems start early. Schools, vocational training programs, and employment programs all fail to fulfill their obligations to citizens with disabilities. Less than one-half of all disabled children attend school. Those who do often do not have full access to educational offerings because of untrained teachers and the lack of accessible materials.
Vocational training centers are generally of low quality, but people with disabilities are either not admitted in the first place or especially disadvantaged. And as mentioned, government institutions are not hiring the disabled people to whom they are supposed to be offering employment opportunities.
There are plans to introduce new job programs in 10 provinces by 2004, but many are convinced that this is an insufficient commitment. Public perceptions must also change, they say. For example, many disabled people who work in manual labor say that others in their communities feel they shouldn't be doing that work.
Some experts are advocating for community-based rehabilitation programs, which rely on local resources and commitments to produce goods and services for local consumption. Also, incentives might induce more private-sector employers to hire people with disabilities.
Recommendations from the recent meeting are being considered by the government.
For more information on this story, see vietnamnews.vnagency.com. The quote is taken from an August 28, 2002 article.
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