HCM CITY — Besides the stereotypical jobs like masseurs and IT engineers, many other vocations are now available to blind people.

The Job for Blind Facebook fanpage, for instance, has a video which shows the blind working as tele-salespeople, a common enough sight in the country.

They include Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy, who has been working at the Việt Nam Cacao Joint Stock Corporation (Vinacacao) in District 1 for a year.

Every day she calls the company’s customers to speak about new products, inquire about their sales and listen to problems about products to report to her superior.

Trần Văn Liêng, director general of Vinacacao, said this kind of job is suitable for people with visual impairments who have good communication and problem-solving skills and a pleasant voice.

After having worked with such people, he has found them to be competent and to listen attentively.

The fanpage also lists translating jobs for blind people.

Nguyễn Minh Tuấn, who operates the Job for Blind website, said people with visual impairment can come to his website to find job listings.

Six companies have listed their recruitment needs on the website since it was launched in late June.

The website has been set up by blind people at the Thiên Ân Shelter in Tân Phú District after winning a contest organised by UNICEF under a programme to engage and empower disadvantaged young people.

The Nhật Hồng Centre for People with Visual Impairment in Thủ Đức District posted listings from employers for an IT teacher and stewards at Noir Dining in the Dark Restaurant in District 1.

Both are exclusively for blind candidates.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hiệp, a blind man who is studying education management at the HCM City University of Education, told Việt Nam News that he plans to apply to shelters and centres for disabled people to work as a volunteer after graduation.

“When I work as a volunteer, I could look for part-time jobs on the Job for Blind website.”

Psychology and foreign languages are becoming the favourite majors for people with visual impairment followed by communication and journalism, he said.

He plans to set up a centre for disabled people in a rural area in the future.

Việt Nam has more than one million blind people, but only 20 per cent are employed.

In June the first ever job fair for blind people was held, and the enterprises attending it said they were ready to hire. --VNS