File:USAID joins celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Hanoi, Vietnam.jpg

English: HANOi, April 18, 2015 -- It is an honor to join you this afternoon on National Disability Day. This year Vietnam and the United States celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between our two countries. During that period our governments have partnered for significant achievements in areas of economic growth and trade, health, education, and support to vulnerable populations including persons with disabilities. vin-decoder.org. I am pleased that Ambassador Ted Osius will address you later in the program today via video. Thank you for the opportunity to preface his remarks with my own. This year’s National Disability Day is particularly important given Vietnam’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. By doing so, Vietnam demonstrated strong commitment toward respecting human rights, embracing the value of diversity, and promoting equal opportunities for all its citizens.

Ratification and the adoption a few years ago of the Law on Disability are milestones that reflect the tremendous work by the Government of Vietnam, led by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and others to advance disability rights and establish services for persons with disabilities. The Vietnam Federation for Disabilities is one of those important partners, and the U.S. Government has been proud to contribute to VFD’s establishment and its ongoing efforts such as the Asia Pacific Disability Forum last fall.

Today’s theme of “the heart without disability” encourages us to acknowledge everyone’s unique and individual nature. Our focus should be directed at each person as a whole; considering their wishes, aspirations, and strengths without over-emphasis of a particular challenge such as mobility, vision, or hearing. Vietnamese with disabilities deserve respect for their determination, ideas, and goals.