DISABLED CHILDREN

Today, many disabled children are found in Vietnam's remote country side where access to medical care is limited. They must endure unwanted attention when going out in public, being the subject of stares and pointing fingers. Even though every child has a different experience of handicap and their own unique story to tell, they all share a common thing, a life of suffering and misery, of being an outcast.

However, they also share a common hope of being able to overcome their disabilities and participate in life as fully and joyfully as other children do. I met and talked to some of these children, and learnt that underneath the disability, there is a normal child struggling to break free.

Below is some information of disable children in Vietnam:

- There are about 1.2 million disabled children in the country (including moving deformities, mental deformities, dumb, blind…). Children-victims of Agent Orange counts about 200,000.
- Most of the children’s families are in difficult economic conditions so that most time their parents spend for earning money, they rarely spend time to rehabilitate their children or pick their children up the functional rehabilitation centers. Besides, there are many families that locate far about 30km to centers and it is not convenient for them to take their children to centers

- The living conditions of disabled people in central Da Nang city and surrounding areas, which are considered hot spots of dioxin, are expected to be improved by US-funded projects.
- According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, aid donated for these projects will come from a 3-million-USD budget approved by the US Congress in 2007 for dioxin treatment and health activities in Vietnam .
- The US Embassy in Vietnam says each project will receive a maximum of 500,000 USD per year.

- Lack of text books in Braille, and shortage of specialist teachers was putting children with disabilities at a disadvantage. The problem was more acute at high school level because the teaching load was lighter in primary schools. School managers had a part to play in the integration of handicapped children into the school system.
- A training manual for pupils with disabilities was introduced at several special primary schools in Ha Noi on March 12.
- The curriculum, jointly compiled by the German Development Service (DED) and the Hue University , provides special methods to educate children, especially those with intellectual disabilities.
- The five-volume book is designed for teachers at primary schools and schools for disabled children nationwide. It aims to help handicapped pupils gain better access to lessons.

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you know any disabled children centre in Bien Hoa/ Dong Nai? What are they?
2. Did you come there? When?
3. How do you feel when you meet them?
4. What do you think of disadvantages that disabled children might have in life?
5. Do you know how much each centre pays for one child every month? Can you guess?
6. Is it enough for them to live?
7. What do you think of training program for those children? Is it good enough? What is the gap now?
8. Do you think disabled children/people can find a job after graduation easily? Why?
9. If not, what can government do to support for them?
10. What job do you think it is suitable for disabled children?