Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Persons with Disabilities (PWD)
Presented by: Ms. Do Thi Huyen, Viet Nam
Non-Governmental Organizations
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) & Persons with disabilities (PWDs)
Benefit of ICT for PWDs in Viet Nam:
ICT is very useful for PWDs, if the disabled can approach to ICT that brings many advantages for themselves. Because ICT is not requires the powerful user so that the disabled have more opportunities to reach to their desire and dreams also, such as a physical disability can use his computer, through Internet, he can contact with every body in the world, do anything which they want for learning, job, contact and so on.
We know that, disability is a normal apparent fact in every society. But there are barrier for the disabled, for example: walking on the streets, contacting and joining in society are huge hindrances. Especially in Viet Nam, when the infrastructure is still bad and weak, the traffic is not ready for the disabled. Only ICT is a tool that PWDs can join in society. They can contact each other and join in community in all kinds of fields such as: information, feelings, work, through telephone, mobile phone and Internet, only at that time, they are easier because of not obstructed by any conditions of disabled.
ICT is an advantage condition for PWDs because the disabled can prove their ability to the society. There are many good examples about PWDs who is successful in Information Technology by their talents. In Viet Nam, Bach Dinh Vinh is an example. He has been paralyzed after an accident, only a finger can use. But he has just completed successfully his course in Information Technology. If there is not ICT, he can't have a degree in his study. Therefore, ICT is getting to change the world with a remarkable speed. Everybody, especially, the disabled should update the information and understand about ICT so that we can use it for our life.
Disadvantage of ICT for PWDs in Viet Nam:
In Viet Nam the disabled is rather difficult to approach to ICT. Information system in Viet Nam is not reach to every where, particularly, in the countryside and remote areas. Beside the using telephone, mobile phone is rather easy; approaching to Internet is quite difficult. As you know, there are many kinds of disability such as: physical, deaf, blind in which only physical disability is relative to using Internet, but other kinds of disability are very difficult. The reason is that there is not an official program for them. For example, the blinded person hasn't got aid program, by Vietnamese. Moreover, the price when accessing Internet and buying the program is too expensive. So for PWDs in Viet Nam, ICT is still far from them.
Current status of PWDs in use of ICT in Viet Nam:
Computer training for PWDs by governmental organization (GO) and non- governmental organization (NGOs):
At this moment, in Viet Nam, there is not number of statistics about the training course for PWDs as well as the supply computer devices for the disabled. Now, in education program deal with computer training at the schools, but most of in the towns, while in the countryside, computer training isn't in the list of teaching. So, the computer training for PWDs is still limited. In fact, computer training is dealt with in the education program in general but not the special program for the disabled. I hope the Ministry of Education and Training will improve this situation.
There is some NGOs support for computer training in Viet Nam. Being funded a NGO, Bright Future Group is implementing program about computer training for the disabled. Ha Noi Club of Disabled student has been sponsored 10 computers to train for the member & other disabled who want to learn. But there is not exact number of training courses, or how many disabled persons who have been trained and accessed with ICT.
Government supports in ICT for PWDs:
Budget which Viet Nam government spends for education is a big ratio in annual budget. But the budget spends for computer training for PWDs is too little. I have never heard about the budget for computer training for the disabled. Why? In Viet Nam, law on disabled person has been promulgated since 1998. The government has tried to improve the life of the disabled. But ICT is still not considered very much. The copyright problem in Viet Nam is very complicated, there is no financial policy for buying copyright, particularly the copyright for the disabled. Such as, a copyright using for the blinded is too expensive. If the government doesn't fund, the blinded is very difficul t to access ICT.
Beside, tax exemption policy to computer devices is not suitable, it doesn't encourage the enterprises importing device as well as manufacturing computer device in domestic. The price of a computer is too high compared with the standard of living in general, and the disabled, in particular. Hence some of the disabled are not independent about their life; they belong to their families so they can't support a computer for themselves. I know, the tax policy has changed from July 1st 2003 in order to Viet Nam taking part in AFTA, and I hope that after this event, the price of computer device will more cheaper, so that the disabled can be able to possess the computer.
Web accessibility
Public/government, NGOs, private sectors
Now, many web-sites of government, state, public organizations have been created. The information in the media is getting more and more widely. The problem about PWDs is talked more and more in the all kind of media. But there is not any web-site that touches on the field of the disabled in the way of adequate and strict.
There are some NGOs that touch on the disabled on their Web-sites but not much! In Viet Nam, the Disability Forum has created a web-site for the disabled. This is a forum for the disabled where they have opportunities to exchange, change information, looking for a job, understanding about the law on disability, and so on. Furthermore, there are some groups, individual that create the web-site for themselves. I hope, in the future, there are more and more self-help organization's web-sites.
Awareness of information and Web accessibility in Viet Nam
Information is considered in Viet Nam years ago and the public is aware of ICT, they have more chance to approach to ICT. In the information age as now, the problem about information and accessing ICT is getting more important and necessary. Because if we can't update information immediately, we will be out of date, we will be weaker than other countries in every field. So the awareness of ICT to the public must become a strategy in industrialization and modernization in Viet Nam.
But in Viet Nam today, accessing ICT is still having many obstacles. The infrastructure is too weak, not completed, and this is the reason that accessing ICT is not easy. Computer system is too backward to access Internet. Fee accessing Internet is too high compared with income of the disabled. Moreover, most of the masses don't know what the Internet is? It is a very serious problem in Viet Nam.
Now is the age of knowledge economic, digital economic, so that the awareness of the ICT to the public is very important in the strategy economic development. Especially, for the disabled, we must know about Web accessing because it is the most chance for us to join in the society. Since then we can prove our ability to the society that we are not disabled but on the contrary, we are very useful for the society.
Goal and personal commitment for the information accessibility and reduction of the gap of digital divide for PWDs:
As we know, information and Web accessibility is very useful to everybody in general and in particularly for PWDs. Main objective of accessing information, in my opinion, is the way that the disabled to joint in the society and the community. And that is the way the disabled use to prove that they are normal as everybody. I think that, the goal of each disabled person is to confirm their abilities in the society by different ways. In order to gain this goal, the disabled must know the benefit which information and Web accessibility bring to them. Since then, the disabled have to point out the way to access ICT by anyway. When the disabled can access ICT, they will be highly appreciated in the community. The gap between PWDs with society is gradually canceled.
It is said that, in the digital economic as now, information accessibility takes part in a very important role. Every government has their policies about development information technology. Viet Nam government has many policies, strategies to promote and encourage the public accessing Internet. The government permits many enterprises taking part in supply service information in order to publicize information and encourage the user accessing Internet. The price information accessing, such as: telephone, mobile phone, and the Internet are getting much cheaper. Many kinds of information channels are developing with very quick speed. That is only general problem to everybody but the disabled still not mentioned. Such as the price of accessing for PWDs should be cheaper? That is a question.
In order to point out a suitable policy on developing information technology and accessing ICT, we have to mention all concerned problems. For PWDs, from their living standard, employment to supply computer devices must be preferential. But computer training for the disabled is the most important problem. The disabled should have more opportunities to use and access ICT. First of all, computer training should have been in all kinds of education programs, especially for PWDs. After that, it should have more information channels for PWDs accessing. It is very good if there are special channels for the disabled.
Computer training can be implemented through groups. This is easier because it is suitable to character of each kind of disability. The self-help organization is the most in accordance with the training. I think that, governmental organization and non-government organization should do following this way. I hope that, with the best tries, Viet Nam will promote accessing information technology, network and gradually reduce the gap between the PWDs with the community in the near future.
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