The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its projects to support persons with disabilities in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on November 13. The support programs will be carried out in Binh Phuoc by Action to the Community Development Centre (ACDC) and Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH). The projects aim to enhance the enforcement of laws on persons with disabilities and the implementation of their rights, provide the disabled with improved legal aid and access to information and public transportation, and help them fully integrate into society. These include one to enhance the implementation of rights for people who are disabled, which runs through 2018. Another project focuses on rights enforcement, coordination and therapy and lasts until 2020. Speaking at the launching ceremony, ACDC Director Nguyen Lan Anh said her organization has worked to promote the integration process for people with disabilities, with the goal of creating a society without barriers for them. Christopher Abrams, Director of the Environmental and Social Development Office at USAID, said the US government is pleased to back Vietnam’s efforts to support people with disabilities living in poor provinces and dioxin hot spots. According to Vice Chairman of the Binh Phuoc People’s Committee Nguyen Huy Phong, the province is home to about 48,000 people with disabilities, approximately 5,300 of whom have severe disabilities. The province allocates annual funds to implement state policies on disability support and care, he noted. (vietnamplus.vn Nov 13)
