Implementing the Ordinance on Disabled Persons – The National Assembly Organizes a Regional Conferen

In January, 2003, the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, with assistance from VNAH, organized a regional conference for about 100 officials and interested parties from the five provinces of Phu Yen, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan to review the implementation of laws pertaining to people with disabilities.    Local officials were also asked to report what they have accomplished to meet the needs of people with disabilities and to provide lawmakers with recommendations on means to improve future laws, policies and programs.  

Most of the presentations at the Conference emphasized the significance of the Ordinance on Disabled Persons.  They noted that, after almost five years of implementation, the Ordinance has helped raise awareness of the general public on disability issues and helped people with disabilities become more confident and receive more respect and support from their communities.  However, participants stressed that concerned ministries, agencies, and authorities needed to do a better job of coordinating their efforts to implement the Ordinance.