My name is Hieu, and I am from Vietnam. I am a Duskin 21st trainee. It’s been three years since I returned to Vietnam from Japan. Many things have changed for three years since I came back to Vietnam in 2021. In the past, I had never used assistant services, but now I use them every day because of the secondary condition. And then, I live independently, away from my family. I’m enjoying each day. At the previous final report meeting before I went back to Vietnam from Japan, I shared two main goals I wanted to achieve: first, to gather members for the independent living activity, and second, to promote barrier-free shops. During three years, I’ve accomplished many things, and I’d like to share them with you.

Three years ago, there were many challenges under the COVID-19 pandemic, it was especially difficult for people with disabilities in Vietnam, so I decided to start a small business. I opened a shop that sells products made by people with disabilities. At first, we sold the products online, but now we have a physical shop, and many people visit in person. Currently, 20 staff members with disabilities are earning an income from the profits of the shop. At the same time, I started working in the UN in 2021 and also began barrier-free society promoting campaign. Back then, not many people knew about barrier-free buses in Vietnam, so I created various TikTok videos about it. The video went with millions of views. Two years ago, NHK interviewed me. I would like to show you the video that they made.

(Video) Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Every year, the number of cars and motorcycles continues to increase. Ms. Hieu, a 32-year-old with cerebral palsy, finds it difficult to walk and uses an electric wheelchair. Living in Vietnam as a wheelchair user is not easy. The sidewalks are poorly maintained, there are many uneven surfaces with small stairs and often people with wheelchairs are forced to use the roads with cars. Ms. Hieu mentions that she is regularly yelled at by drivers. And sometimes she is refused access to buses due to a lack of assistance for boarding and disembarking. According to a UNICEF report, there are more than 6 million people with disabilities in Vietnam, making up about 7 percent of the population. However, the roads are not adequately paved, and many public buildings do not have ramps for individuals with disability. There are also many motorcycles parked on the sidewalks, or street food vendors set up on the roads, which makes it difficult for people with disabilities to go outside. Currently, Ms. Hieu posts videos of her daily life on social media. Despite the lack of information for people with disabilities who want to go out, her videos have been viewed millions of times. As these videos gain attention, some bus companies started promoting services for people with disabilities.

After this video, I received many messages from people with disabilities. After this video, I received many messages from people with disabilities. People with disability started to go out more often than before, so it became my motivation. From last year, I became the member of ‘Kokorozashi (ambitious) Network'. ‘Kokorozashi Network’ is a network of centers for independent living made by Duskin trainees. Now, we have Centers for Independent Living (CIL) in Pakistan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Nepal, Korea, Cambodia, and Vietnam. These CILs are supported by Japanese organizations, such as the Mainstream Association, Muchu Center, and Partner Center. This August, I will establish a new Center for Independent Living in Hanoi. At the opening ceremony, Japanese supporters, friends, and members of the Kokorozashi Network will attend and I am very grateful for their support. Of course, I will continue my activities after the ceremony.

What I want to do in Vietnam’s CIL in the future, is to create a system where university students can help CIL users by assisting them. For the happiness of people with disabilities in Vietnam, I am committed to working hard. Additionally, I recently quit my job at the UN because I am so busy to work for CIL. So now, I can spend all of my time for the independent living activities. Please continue to cheer us on in Vietnam, everyone. I have always wanted to be friends with Japanese people and work together with Japanese organizations, so please feel free to contact me. This is my email. Thank you for your continued support.