The International Day of Persons with disabilities’ celebration ceremony and “The story of a pair of feet” photography contest award ceremony

With the UN’s theme for this year: “Inclusion matters: Access and empowerment for people of all abilities”, at December 3^rd, 2015, ACDC centre has simultaneously organized activities in Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam.

The purpose of these activities was to celebrate International Day of Persons with disabilities, and to review the implementation of UN’s Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the plan in the past and the future.

In Hanoi, the celebration ceremony and “The story of a pair of feet” photography contest award ceremony was held at Congress Office Guesthouse number 2, at 02, Hoang Cau. At the celebration there was a conversation between Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hồi, Director General of Social Protection Department (A department of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs) and Mrs Dương Thị Vân, chairwoman of Hanoi Disabled People’s Association and Mrs Nguyễn Ngọc Lan, vice director of ACDC centre about the implementation of UN’s Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The speakers discussed the implementation of the Convention in Vietnam since its ratification, contributions which made the implementation more efficiently and plans for the future.

Within the framework of the activity, ACDC also summarized and awarded “The story of a pair of feet” photography contest’s winners. This photography contest was started by ACDC centre and ran from September 2015 to November 2015; the contents of the participators’ works are:

- The role of accessibility equipment to the everyday lives of people with disabilities.

- The difficulty and obstacles regarding accessibility equipment that people with disabilities run into.

- Messages about aspirations and things that need to be changed to make the lives of people with disabilities better with the help of accessibility equipment.

During the two months of the contest, we received over 400 entries from contestants of different ages and professions from all over the country. The Facebook page of the contest also constantly received interests from over 1000 members. This was the first time that the community used their personal devices (smartphones, cameras) to capture people with disabilities using accessibility equipment.  At the award ceremony, the judges awarded 10 for prizes for excellent works voted by both the judges and the audience, with the prizes accounted for up to 20 million VND.

In Thua Thien – Hue province, ACDC centre worked with the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the People with Disabilities’ Association of the province and the Social Protection Centre of Thua Thien – Hue to celebrate International Day of Persons with disabilities art and sport activities for people with disabilities. During this event, the People with Disabilities’ Association of the province disseminated information about Disability law and the UN’s Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities which Vietnam has signed; as well as honoured individuals and organizations with excellent achievements in activities of the association and in activities for people with disabilities. The event was held at Dien Bien hotel, Hue city on December 3^rd, 2015.

In Binh Phuoc province, ACDC centre also worked with the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Association of Social Protection for People with Disabilities, Orphans and Patient in poverty to hold an informal talk about laws and policies for people with disabilities. The objective of this informal talk was to discuss the implementation of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; the government’s commitments and Vietnam laws and policies for people with disabilities. The activity also aimed to raise official departments and community’s awareness about practicing disability rights in every aspect of life. This was also an opportunity for people with disabilities to increase their participation in social and economic activities and to enhance their own voices in disability issues.

Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh, director of ACDC centre, said: “With simultaneous activities held in Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam, ACDC centre is committed to promoting the development of the disability movement in the whole country, as well as enhancing their role in politics, culture and society.”

Minh Tran (Translator: Phan Minh)