Public works lacking support facilities for people with disabilities are among the obstacles to their inclusion in the community. As a result, people with disabilities struggle to access vocational training, employment and opportunities to improve their knowledge and access society. Ms. Duong Thi Van – Chairwoman of the Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities – shared her views with Lao Dong on this issue.
– Madam, how does the association assess people with disabilities’ access to public works in Hanoi?
– At present, some public works in the city have complied with the regulations of the construction codes and standards for buildings to ensure access and use by people with disabilities, the Law on People with Disabilities, the provisions of Plan 150 and, most recently, Plan 161 of the city on assistance for people with disabilities.
Ms. Duong Thi Van at a workshop on people with disabilities.
Some places that meet the needs of people with disabilities include the Vietnam–Soviet Friendship Labour Culture Palace, the National Convention Centre, Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi Station, the Museum of Ethnology, the Hanoi Intellectuals’ Palace, Ly Thai To Flower Garden, Lenin Flower Garden and the gate of Ngoc Son Temple.
However, many of the city’s public works still do not ensure access and use by people with disabilities, even though these works have only recently been built. This is itself a barrier to people with disabilities taking part in community activities.
– What difficulties do people with disabilities face in accessing public works, Madam?
– Ramps: there is no ramp at the entrance to a building, or a building has a ramp for wheelchair users but the gradient is too steep, from 20 to 40 degrees, the ramp is not the standard width, and there is no handrail, so wheelchair users cannot get up the ramp by themselves.
People with disabilities badly need support facilities in large buildings (illustrative photo).
Parking: many buildings have no parking space for people with disabilities, or they have a basement car park but the slope in and out of the basement is steep, making it hard for the vehicles of people with disabilities to go up and down.
Toilet doors or the clear space inside toilet cubicles are too narrow; many places have only squat toilets, and there are many steps on the way into the toilet area. Toilets have no handrails to support wheelchair users, people using crutches or blind people. Some buildings have a toilet for people with disabilities, but the door is too narrow for wheelchair users to get in.
Lifts: many buildings have lifts but no audible signal for blind people. In many buildings the lift is on the second floor, so people with disabilities can only reach the first floor and cannot get to the lift.
Handrails: many buildings have steps, with wide treads but no handrails, causing difficulties for people using crutches, braces or prosthetic legs.
Signage: many buildings have no signs or directions for people with disabilities.
– How has difficulty in accessing public works limited the inclusion of people with disabilities, Madam?
– Schools are built without ensuring that students with disabilities can access them, so many students cannot take part in study and vocational training like other students, and have to leave or drop out.
Helping people with disabilities integrate into society by improving public works.
However, some students who try to study in schools that are not convenient for people with disabilities to use have to make great efforts, requiring considerable support from their families, teachers and friends.
People with disabilities without knowledge and skills end up lacking understanding and without work, becoming a burden in many ways on their families and society. As a result, people with disabilities lack self-confidence, cannot decide their own lives, face discrimination and cannot exercise their rights to education, employment and social inclusion.
– In your view, are these difficulties due to a lack of policy, or to other causes?
– In fact, there are still many shortcomings in implementing laws and policies relating to people with disabilities. Awareness among sectors, investors, design consultancy firms and construction firms is still low.
There is a reluctance to see construction costs rise, or codes are followed but not the correct technical indicators.
More attention is needed to people with disabilities’ access to public works.
When public works are appraised and approved and construction permits are issued, the application of codes and standards to ensure access and use by people with disabilities has been overlooked.
Control of the design and construction stages has not been thorough, including the appraisal of basic designs for public works, urban transport infrastructure and state agency headquarters…
– Thank you, Madam!
Ms. Duong Thi Van proposes:
– The city should issue guiding documents requiring the People’s Committees of districts, organisations, investors, project management boards, appraisal and design consultancy organisations to comply with regulations ensuring access to and use of buildings by people with disabilities.
– Include the criterion of ensuring access to and use of buildings by people with disabilities in the design appraisal when granting construction permits and approving buildings for use.
– Strengthen inspection and supervision of compliance with construction codes ensuring access to buildings by people with disabilities; strengthen checks of building records at the construction and completion stages, and only allow buildings to be put into use when they comply with regulations ensuring access to and use by people with disabilities.
– Codes and regulatory documents on building construction to ensure access to and use by people with disabilities should be used in training and disseminated to those involved in design and construction.
– Raise awareness of the inclusion of people with disabilities among all levels and sectors and those working in investment and construction.
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