VietNamNet Bridge – There are about 93 million children under age 14 with disabilities in the world, including 1.2 million in Vietnam. Many children are affected directly from the consequences of war, such as Agent Orange and explosives.
Nguyen Phuong Anh, a student from the Vietnam-Germany High School, Hanoi, speaks at the report delivery ceremony in Da Nang on May 30.
According to the report on the situation of children in the world in 2013 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which was released in Da Nang on May 30, UNICEF urged governments to keep their promises to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities, to ratify and implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The report said that children with disabilities are often denied the opportunities that other children naturally enjoy. So the first thing that the world needs to do is to change attitudes, focusing on the ability instead of looking at their disabilities, and to ensure schools, health services as well as entertainment and recreation services for children with disabilities …
According to Mr. Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director, there are about 93 million children under age 14 with disabilities throughout the world. The interest in the possibilities and potential of children with disabilities will create benefits for society as a whole. “Looking at disability before recognizing the child is not only the unfair act but also take away what they can bring to society,” he said.
Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said Vietnam has 1.2 million children with disabilities, many of children affected directly from the consequences of war such as the sequelae of Agent Orange and explosives. The Vietnamese Government also tries its best in providing health care for people with disabilities, creating jobs, eradicating stigma …
Representing children with disabilities in Vietnam, Nguyen Phuong Anh, a student from the Vietnam-Germany High School, Hanoi, said: “I myself and the people with disabilities want to be recognized as normal children. This is not a job that can be done overnight. It needs time along with the efforts of each person with a disability as well as the community.”
Phuong Anh is a glass bone girl with a sweet voice who is widely known for entering the finale of the Vietnam’s Got Talent the first season.
Minh Hang