Disability in Vietnam
In Vietnam, around 6.2 million people live with a disability.
Thu was just 12 years old when he lost his leg after stepping on a landmine from the Vietnam War.
Thu works in his rice fields near his home in Quang Tri province, Vietnam. Photo: Phan Tan Lam/Caritas Australia
Challenges for people living with disabilities
Thu and his wife Linh live in the Quang Tri province, Vietnam. After Linh suffered a stroke, Thu became her primary carer. Photo: Phan Tan Lam/Caritas Australia
Rural poverty
Over 75% of people living with a disability live in rural areas of Vietnam, where they are more likely to live in poverty.
Thu and his wife Linh live in the Quang Tri province, Vietnam. After Linh suffered a stroke, Thu became her primary carer. Photo: Phan Tan Lam/Caritas Australia
Limited employment opportunities
People living with a disability may experience challenges in finding accessible jobs to boost their income.
Thu works in his rice fields near his home in Quang Tri province, Vietnam. Photo: Phan Tan Lam/Caritas Australia
Lack of access to rehabilitation services
Only 2.3% of people living with disability have access to rehabilitation services when sick or injured
Living with a disability in Vietnam
Imagine living in one of the most heavily bombed areas during the Vietnam War that is littered with thousands of unexploded ordinances (UXOs). This is the reality for many people who live Quảng Trị province, like Thu.
There are approximately 800,000 tons of UXOs that are left over from the Vietnam War. According to the Vietnamese government, there have been more than 100,000 civilian casualties from unexploded landmines.
“War is most terrible with great loss. At the end of the war, there are still consequences such as unexploded ordnance, causing many losses, casualties and death,” Thu says.
Over one billion people worldwide are estimated to experience a disability of some kind, equivalent to about 15% of the world's population.
Disability affects a significant portion of Vietnam's population, with over 6.2 million people living with a disability. An additional 13 per cent - nearly 12 million, live in a household with a person with a disability.
Households having members with disabilities tend to be poorer than the national average, and children with disabilities also are less likely to attend school. Adults with disabilities are less likely to be employed than their peers without disabilities.
Thu helps his wife Linh, who suffered a stroke, with her rehabilitation at their home in Quang Tri province, Vietnam. Photo: Phan Tan Lam/Caritas Australia
Video
Thu's story
