Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities II

In Vietnam, persons with disabilities face barriers in accessing public buildings and transportation, limiting their access to health care and other social services. The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities II project removes barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities by revising national disability policies, advocating for social equity, and improving physical accessibility to public infrastructure. 

IMPROVING NATIONAL POLICIES 

The project partners with the Government of Vietnam to revise national policies to achieve  disability equity, with a focus on improving the physical accessibility of public infrastructure, particularly health facilities and public transport. This includes helping the Government of Vietnam to revise its laws and sub laws such as the 2013 Employment Law to ensure Vietnam meets its obligations as a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The project is also helping Vietnam to advance regulatory reform that guarantees persons with disabilities’ accessibility to medical services by requiring provider accommodations like sign language, minority languages, and physical access improvements.

PROMOTING PROVINCIAL ACTION

The project partners with the provincial Departments of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Health, Transportation, and  Justice, and organizations of persons with disabilities, to monitor policy implementation and address disability equity issues, including independent living, accessibility, and gender-based violence. 

DIRECT SUPPORT

The project provides direct support to target groups, including reproductive health checks and legal counseling for persons with disabilities; gender-based violence training for persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and medical workers; and independent living, disability equity, and physical accessibility trainings for local policy implementers and service providers, such as public bus drivers and medical workers.   

IMPACT

The project has provided training and other support to 2,000 persons with disabilities and their caregivers, and 240 service providers and local policy implementers. The project has increased public awareness on disability equity and improved policies to require greater accessibility for persons with disabilities.  

TARGETED LOCALITIES 

The project works in Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, and Quang Nam provinces.