HANOI, September 11, 2015 -- The Inclusion of Vietnamese with Disabilities Project (IVWD), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has supported the development of a national inclusive education legal framework that has enabled approximately 500,000 Vietnamese children with disabilities to enjoy school education and brought about information technology training and employment opportunities to 1,400 youths with disabilities over the past ten years.

“This cooperation has created opportunities for youth with disabilities for better access to education and employment,” said USAID Mission Director, Joakim Parker. “We hope that these efforts will continue to the further integration of persons with disabilities into all aspects of society as Vietnam implements its commitments under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

An evaluation report released today at the final project review workshop states that nearly 2,300 teachers and education administrators have been trained on inclusive education directly by the project over the past ten years. The project has also worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and provincial departments of education and training to help develop and enforce guidelines and policies on inclusive education. Thanks to these efforts, 10,000 teachers have been trained on inclusive education by the project-assisted teacher training program.

Implemented since 2005, the project has worked with different Vietnamese counterparts to promote educational and social inclusion of people with disabilities through supporting opportunities of inclusive education, vocational training, and employment for children and youth with disabilities throughout Vietnam.

The U.S. Government has been improving the quality of life and supporting the inclusion of Vietnamese with disabilities into all aspects of society since 1989. To date, the U.S. Government has contributed over $60 million in assistance to people with disabilities, regardless of cause.

For more information about USAID’s support to persons with disabilities, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam/persons-with-disabilities