Vietnam implemented sweeping disability rights legislation. Ratified by the National Assembly, the law guarantees equality for people with disabilities in respect to education, work, health care, sports and entertainment, transportation and more. The law is said to benefit over seven million disabled Vietnamese people.
Under French colonialism, Vietnam was utilized primarily for agricultural production. The disabled were marginalized because they were not able to provide the same quantity of labor to the French capitalists as their able-bodied counterparts. The Vietnamese government has been working closely with the Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped organization to undo this colonial legacy.
There have been multiple legislative and institutional efforts made to promote the rights of the disabled since the early 1990’s. In 1992, the constitution guaranteed the protection of people with disabilities.
The newest legislation includes a five-year plan to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities, as opposed to the “separate but equal” logic that prevails in the United States.
