"After the consultation, I made an effort to come up with renovation ideas for the home. Since the house lacked the necessary circumstances to do it properly, I went to find bamboo behind the ditch to make the entrance to the toilet, conveniently fencing the garden. It's easier for my wife to move around now, thank the project and the members for advising my family." (Sharing of Ms. V.N’s husband – a person with disability, A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province)
Ms. V.N is a person with severe disabilities, living in a poor household located in Quang Nham commune of A Luoi highland district, Thua Thien Hue province. With a birth defect, Ms. V.N has difficulty walking, along with poor circumstances that make it difficult and inconvenient for movement and daily activities. Particularly, the restroom is out of the way and accessible only by a difficult dirt path, which increases the risk of falling during the wet season.
The access to the toilet of Ms. V.N's family has been arranged with 2-side handrails with bamboo rods available in the garden
In July 2022, the project “Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities Project (RVCO), phase II” carried out home visits at some households of person with disabilities in A Luoi district, including Ms. V.N.'s family. Health station staff and social policy officers of the commune, under the support of the project, conducted an assessment of the ability to live independently, and advised and guided Ms. V.N's family so that Ms. V.N could be more self-reliant and convenient in daily activities. Specifically, the advisory group instructed Ms. V.N.'s family to add mobility aids; rearranging the kitchen neatly and in accordance with her disability; ... renovate the toilet exit so that Ms V.N can easily use it, etc.
Counselors talk to family members about changes in the approach to living for person with disabilities
In September 2022, when the consulting team returned to visit Ms. V.N.'s house for the 2nd time, the changes in her family made the consulting team very happy. The house and garden have been arranged, rearranged neatly and become more convenient for Mr. V.N.'s move. These adjustments, although small, are suitable for the family's economic conditions and make Ms. V.N.'s living much more convenient and safe, and also show a significant change in Ms. V.N's family's perception of self-reliance, confidence and independent living for person with disabilities.
Ms. V.N's case is just one of many other cases in Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces that have shown positive changes after the project conducted home visits to live independently in recent years. Based on the assessment for each specific case, the project has provided appropriate and useful advice (including peer counseling among person with disabilities) to help person with disabilities enhance their ability to live independently. These assessments and consultations focus on factors such as health care activities, activities of daily living, social activities, adjustment of the housing environment, relevant regimes and policies, etc. Thanks to this, positive signs and results have appeared. Person with disabilities have made changes in their daily lives, becoming more self-reliant and independent. There are some more cases such as Ms. V in Gio Linh district (Quang Tri), from a very passiver person in all daily tasks, depends on her son and sister, has little connection with her neighbors, has now become more active and independent, carrying out daily activities by himself (such as shopping for food, cooking, feeding chickens, etc.), sometimes using walking sticks to go out and visit the neighbor's house... The case of Mr. V.T. in Phu Ninh district (Quang Nam), he is a person with disabilities who uses a wheelchair but the housing conditions cause many inconveniences with many steps and ledges on the aisles. After being provided with instructions by the project, his family renovated the yard and walkway to make it more wheelchair-accessible. Next is the case of Ms. H.T.V. in Gio Linh district (Quang Tri), who lives in a poor household. Previously, her family did not know about the monthly supporting allowance policy for person with disabilities to raise children under 36 months old; After being guided by the advisory group through the procedures and connecting with the local government, her family has now received additional funding for this support, partly reducing economic difficulties.
The project team noted the positive results of independent living of person with disabilities in changing the appropriate living environment.
The "Home Visit of Independent Living" campaign is a part of ACDC's "Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities Project (RVCO), phase II" project, funded by USAID. Through this activity, with small but acknowledged changes, person with disabilities become more self-reliant and independent in their own homes, setting the stage for the active and effective participation of person with disabilities in social activities. The key contribution to this change is a close coordination process between ACDC and provincial project management boards to build capacity for members of the Organization of Person with disabilities at all levels and related departments in the field of person with disabilities such as: health care, labour invalids and social affairs, etc. in terms of independent living and physical access. From then on, they will be the core members responsible for carrying out home visits, counseling support, and guidance for person with disabilities on independent living.
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