Persons with Disabilities

USAID Supports Rehabilitation Services in Binh Phuoc Province.

Nguyen Thac Phuong/USAID

Over the last 30 years, the U.S. Government has contributed more than $140 million in assistance to persons with disabilities in Vietnam. Since 1989, with the establishment of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Leahy War Victims Fund (LWVF), USAID has worked to increase access to a wide variety of programs benefiting people with disabilities in conflict-affected countries. In Vietnam, U.S. assistance has helped to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities by addressing medical and social needs, improving disability policies, and reducing physical and social barriers.

USAID/Vietnam is currently focused on providing services for persons with significant disabilities in areas heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. This project is a part of the U.S. Government’s efforts to address legacies of the U.S.-Vietnam War. This work contributes to both countries’ efforts to overcome the past, build trust, and strengthen bilateral relations. It enables continued security cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam and a strong relationship for the achievement of USAID’s other development objectives.

IMPACT

USAID disability projects have evolved over time, from providing direct service to address immediate needs such as prosthetic and orthopedic devices, to building a system that provides essential services to persons with disabilities, supporting disability policies and regulations, and strengthening advocacy for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. These projects have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life of persons with disabilities in Vietnam, with impacts such as: 1) Direct support to over 46,000 persons with disabilities in Vietnam; 2) Improved rehabilitation and social services for persons with disabilities; 3) Improved disability policy and advocacy; and 4) Improved partners’ capacity in management, implementation, and activity support to persons with disabilities.

PROJECTS

• Advancing Medical Care and Rehabilitation Education aims to improve the quality of care and service delivery for persons with brain function impairments, build capacity for rehabilitation professionals, and strengthen rehabilitation training at the national level and in three provinces: Quang Tri, Hue and Dong Nai. [2015-2023, $10.3 million]
• Disability Rights Enforcement, Coordination and Therapies enhance disability rights and policies enforcement; improve occupational therapy services and training in three provinces: Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai. [2015-2023, $10.7 million]
• Disabilities Integration of Services and Therapies Network for Capacity and Treatment aims to provide early detection and early intervention services for children with disabilities under the age of 6 years in Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, and Dong Nai provinces. [2015-2022, $5.6 million]
• Moving Without Limits provides quality, appropriate assistive devices for persons with disabilities; improve capacity for health practitioners; promote assistive device services information and policy advocacy in three provinces: Hue, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh. [2015-2021, $7.9 million]
• Hold My Hand II builds on the success of the Hold My Hand I activity to continue improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities through strengthening care and support for persons with significant disabilities in Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces. [2021-2023, $1.9 million]
• I-Thrive aims to provide rehabilitation services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in Thua Thien–Hue and Quang Nam provinces. [2018-2022, $1.9 million]
• Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities II builds on the success of the Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities I to continue generating positive changes in awareness, attitudes, institutions and policies with the objective of removing barriers to inclusion of persons with disabilities in Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces. [2021-2024, $2 million]
• Inclusion aims to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities in eight provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange (Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai), by expanding and improving rehabilitation and social services, enhancing policy implementation, and building capacity for counterparts. [Phase I: 2020-2022, $19 million]

See our Project List

KEY GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM PARTNERS

• Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs
• National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET)

Videos

• USAID/Vietnam Staff and Partners Express Support for Sign Languages
• VTV4 Report: USAID Supports Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities
• Vietnam National Television Reports on USAID-Supported IT Training Program for People with Disabilities

View some of our projects in action:

• USAID Provides Assistance to Persons with Disabilities Affected by Severe Flooding in Vietnam
• Signing of the Memorandum of Intent for New Partnership on Disabilities Assistance
• USAID Supports Rehabilitation Services in Binh Phuoc Province
• Some photos of USAID's Moving Without Limits Project
• Alumni of IT Training Program for Person with Disabilities gather to share experience
• U.S. Congressional delegation attends a wheelchairs and hearing aids distribution event in Danang
• USAID commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2013 in Danang
• USAID supports persons with disabilities
• USAID provides equipment and services to persons with disabilities in Danang
• IT Training Program at Dong A University
• Opening of Rehabilitation Department for Children at Danang Women's and Children's Hospital and Wheelchair Distribution in Danang
• IT Certificate Award Ceremony for students with disabilities at Van Lang University
• USAID-supported IT training for persons with disabilities expanded to Danang
• Launch of program for employment for persons with disabilities