HCM CITY— Đinh Thị Tuyết Đào, a disabled person and owner of Phước Đào Knitting Facility in HCM City’s District 7, said her company had difficulty in finding markets and faced bankruptcy as a result.

It employed more than 20 disabled workers who could become unemployed if her business closed down, she told a conference on Government policies for disabled people held in HCM City yesterday.

She called for support from government agencies and local authorities to ensure her facility remains open.

Đào Thị Lệ Xuân, a member of the Bình Thạnh District Blind Association, hoped authorities allow blind and sight-impaired people to open therapeutic massage facilities since it is the most suitable profession for them.    

But they now have to work surreptitiously at such places and worry about being found out and fined, she said.

She finds it difficult to open a bank account since banks demand a guarantee for blind people.

Inadequate public transport for people with disabilities and bus drivers’attitudes are another problem for them.

Huỳnh Minh Hoàng, an official from the District 7 Disabled Association, said many drivers pick up and drop off passengers far away from bus stops, making it very difficult for disabled people.

According to Vũ Thị Thanh Tâm, an official from the District 6 Disabled Association, many drivers have a bad attitude towards disabled people since they use free passes.

Nguyễn Ngọc Giao, deputy head of the Department of Transport’s Road Transport Division, confessing that issues affecting disabled people are often ignored, promised to take measures to address these problems.

Giao suggested that disabled people should call the department’s hot line (1022) to report their problems.

Nguyễn Thị Liên, deputy director of the city Department of Labour, said her department had recommended that the city administration should allow people with visual impairment to open therapeutic massage parlours.

Liên admitted that disabled people do not benefit much from incentive policies and social support.

She promised that the feedback on policies from disabled people would be collected and submitted to the city People’s Committee.

More appropriate policies and support to help disabled people integrate into society and develop their businesses and careers would be put in place, she promised.

The city has 49,700 disabled people. Of them more than 43,400 enjoy free health insurance.

There are 29 social support centres to take care of 4,500 homeless people with disabilities. — VNS