On January 13, USAID announced two awards to support persons with disabilities in Thua Thien – Hue, one of eight target provinces under the USAID Disability Program which works to address the needs of persons with disabilities in communities sprayed with Agent Orange. Over the next three years, in the central provinces of Vietnam, USAID will invest $6.9 million under the Inclusion-I project and nearly $2 million under Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities-II to assist persons with disabilities, regardless of cause. Inclusion will focus on improving access to rehabilitation and social support services, accelerating disability policy implementation, and reducing barriers to the inclusion and social integration of persons with disabilities. The Raising Voices project will continue generating positive changes in awareness and attitudes toward persons with disabilities, and strengthening institutions and policies to remove barriers to their inclusion.
These projects represent a concerted effort by USAID to partner with local organizations as prime awardees, and work with the Government of Vietnam and local partners to achieve sustainable results by strengthening local capacity and mobilizing local resources.
