HCM CITY — Despite policies designed to help them, people with disabilities in HCM City still face problems seeking jobs, doing business and traveling.

City resident Đinh Công Duy of Bình Tân District told local authorities at a meeting on Thursday that it was difficult to find a job even though he had received vocational training, provided by the city.

Enterprises do not trust the capacity of people with disabilities, Duy said, adding that toilets and stairs in many workplaces do not accommodate the disabled.

Trần Ngọc Mỹ of District 10, who is also physically disabled, said that companies had interviewed her but later “cleverly refused” employing her, and that information on the city’s website introducing jobs for people with disabilities was insufficient.

“I could not contact any employer to apply for a job,” Mỹ added.

Nguyễn Hoàng Trung, who works with a startup for people with disabilities in Phú Nhuận District, said that he and others with disabilities had found it difficult to rent a small space from local authorities.

Võ Minh Hoàng, deputy head of the Social Welfare Division under the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that 258 enterprises publicised recruitment information on the website, and 363 people with disabilities got jobs based on the websites’ information.

He conceded that many employers had not employed people with disabilities, primarily because wheelchairs could not be used at their facilities.

As regulated, employers must hire at least 30 per cent of physically disabled staff to qualify for city funds and exempted land lease fees, or other fees.

He said the department would ask the Government to reduce the rate to below 30 per cent.

For people with disabilities who try to rent space for their businesses, the department will ask the city People’s Committee to develop preferential policies.

Speaking at the meeting, Trần Anh Tuấn of District 4 said that his three-wheeled motorbike is banned on some roads.

City resident Đặng Minh Thái of District 9 said that he wanted to get a motorbike driver’s licence but he could not because of his disability.

The Department of Transport said it would ask the People’s Committee to create conditions for people with disabilities to use three-wheeled vehicles on the roads.

The Ministry of Health has not issued detailed criteria on eligibility to apply for a motorbike driver’s licence and only specifies that the health of people with disabilities must be considered. The regulations do not mention how their health should be measured.   

HCM City has more than 56,600 people with disabilities. Of the number, nearly 47,000 have free health insurance cards.

The city has eight public social welfare centres that take care of nearly 4,500 people with disabilities, in addition to 16 private welfare centres.

This year, 629 people with disabilities were given guidance on business and production. 

As many as 622 people received preferential loans for business operation and vocational training, while 57 were provided with plant seeds and animal breeds.

The city has close to 2,600 buses with seats for the physically handicapped, and a number of buses have special devices that help the disabled enter buses easily. — VNS