More help needed for people with disabilities

Businesses need to provide detailed information about employment opportunities for people with disabilities to find a job suitable with their ability.

All handicapped people wish to have a job that fits in with their physical health conditions so that they can cross the psychological barrier to gradually integrate into the community and stabilise their lives.

Employment will enable people with disabilities to understand the significance of life and encourage them to do things for themselves, their relatives and the community.

In fact, most disabled people are still find it difficult to find a steady job and have to do anything for their living. A number of organisations and businesses involved in charitable and humanitarian activities have run courses in tailoring, embroidery, weaving, fine arts and handicrafts production but just a few can move on to work for major agencies, organisations and businesses.

Meanwhile, the State has paid a lot of attention to generating jobs for the disabled through the national education and training programs for the handicapped which cost hundreds of billions of VND every year. Vietnam now has hundreds of vocational training centres, including many for people with disabilities. However, under the current training programmes, the disabled can only do simple jobs and are unable to advance further as they wish to do for society.

Dreams are difficult to become true

Phan Son Huong, born in 1985 in the central province of Quang Binh, is taking part a one-year programming course for people with disabilities funded by the US at the Hanoi Information and Technology School. Despite all his meals, accommodation, travel and books being paid for, Huong still feels worried about the one year training course as it is not enough time for him to amass the knowledge he needs to master his career after finishing the course.

After being on the course for two months, the trainees still find everything new and difficult because they do not fully understand the text books in English, Huong said.

“Apart from acquiring knowledge and experience from the lecturers, each trainee who wants to advance their career, must learn from books and experienced people. Despite all my efforts to find a job via the Internet and realize my dream of becoming a programmer in the future, at the movement, it is very difficult for me,” he added.

“For the time being, I still find it hard to steer my future in the right direction. But if I fail to choose a path for myself, I will return to my hometown to continue repairing telephones,” Huong admitted.

23-year-old Nguyen Thi Hien who is a final year student at the Banking Academy says she has spent a lot of time looking for a job on the Internet. However, there is a little information on recruiting disabled people into big companies and businesses. Other jobs, such as weaving and embroidery are not suitable with her hobbies and educational qualifications. She said she hopes that more companies and businesses will recruit more people with disabilities to work.

The Law on People with Disabilities, approved at the seventh session of the 12th National Assembly, stipulates that the State encourages companies, businesses and organisations to employ people with disabilities. Enterprises that employ many handicapped people will be granted preferential policies on corporate income tax, loans and land for production.

Businesses should recruit more widely to help people with disabilities access them more easily, Hien says. It is not easy for disabled people to access information because it is difficult for them to move around. On the other hand, they should be more active in finding jobs suitable with their capacities, instead of waiting for businesses to recruit them.

People with disabilities and businesses not linked up

The Vocational Centre for Disabled and Unemployed People in Tu Liem district, Hanoi which specialises in making garments and gemstone pictures, often recruits workers, especially disabled workers because it has a full order book.

Ngo Thi Tam, an official at the centre says the centre trains disabled workers for 4-6 months and then employs those who can do the work. However, it is not easy to employ handicapped people because they do not know about the centre.

The Hai Duong Services and Trade Company in Chuong Duong Street, Hai Duong City, which provides vocational training and makes fine art and handicraft products as well as weaving and embroidery products for exports, also faces difficulties in employing workers.

Minh Hoan, a company official, says that disabled workers often ask to leave during harvest time to help their families so the company is always short of workers.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Nguyen Trong Dam, says that workshops and vocational training centres set up by handicapped people operate efficiently. He admits that only a few disabled people are employed by big companies and businesses because of working conditions and health issues. Therefore, it is necessary to continue with research and develop a suitable model for people with disabilities, emphasises Dam.