Join hands to protect and care for people with disabilities

(Baonghean.vn) - People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and need to be cared for, looked after and protected. In recent years, people with disabilities have been supported with livelihoods and trained in appropriate jobs so that they can take care of themselves and their families and integrate into society.

According to the United Nations, there are currently about 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, accounting for 10-15% of the world's population. Notably, 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries and account for 20% of the world's poorest people.

Create jobs for people with disabilities in difficult circumstances, helping them confidently integrate into life with suitable jobs and support themselves.

In Vietnam, with more than 7 million people with disabilities (7.8% of the population), Vietnam is on the list of countries with a high number of people with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. In the future, the rate of people with disabilities in Vietnam tends to increase due to the impact of population aging, environmental pollution, climate change, traffic accidents, work accidents, consequences of war, etc.

People with disabilities in the world in general and people with disabilities in Vietnam in particular still face many difficulties in life and community integration. Social awareness of the issue of people with disabilities is still limited, causing many people to suffer discrimination. The lack of synchronization and ineffectiveness in the social security policy system such as education, health care, and employment is also a barrier for people with disabilities. Not only that, people with disabilities themselves are also self-conscious, self-deprecating, and have not been able to assert their voices.

Donating wheelchairs to disabled people in Do Luong district. Photo courtesy of Nghe An Newspaper.

However, there are also many disabled people who have overcome their misfortune, lived, worked and contributed like normal people. They even realized their great dreams and ambitions, making the whole world admire them.

In the world, we can mention names such as Stephen Hawking - famous for his research on black holes in the universe, humanitarian Terry Fox - who ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research or speaker Nick Vuijcic - who has inspired millions of people. In Vietnam, we also have the 'armless teacher' Nguyen Ngoc Ky, the director who is fluent in 3 foreign languages ​​Nguyen Son Lam, the girl with brittle bones Nguyen Thi Phuong Anh... and many other faces.

Not only famous people, known to society, but also many disabled people are present in our lives every day. They are examples of overcoming difficulties in all circumstances. There are people who were born without the luck to have a healthy body. But overcoming that misfortune, they still accept life, go to work to support themselves and their families. What makes people admire those disabled people is not a defective body but the happy, optimistic smile on their faces that are darkened by life.

Weightlifter Le Van Cong and his teammates demonstrated the extraordinary determination of Vietnamese people with disabilities at the 2016 Paralympics.

Have we ever wondered what disabled people need most? Is it pity or material gifts from relief programs? The answer is No. What disabled people desire is to be considered as normal citizens, with full rights and obligations. They want to be recognized as members of the society in which they live.

Becoming a burden to family and society is something that disabled people never want. Therefore, disabled people need equal opportunities to rise up and assert themselves. These are opportunities for education, vocational training, suitable jobs, convenient travel, entertainment, health services, social welfare, etc.

The world is making constant efforts to promote understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the values, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Vietnam has also ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), promulgated the Law on Persons with Disabilities to replace the Ordinance on Persons with Disabilities, and amended, supplemented and promulgated new relevant legal documents to ensure the basic rights of persons with disabilities.

With the community's tireless efforts, people with disabilities have had, are having and will have many opportunities to rise up, contribute and contribute to the development of society.

Kim Ngoc

(Synthetic)