Recently, the United Youth for Inclusion Initiative in collaboration with organizations for people with disabilities (PWDs) successfully organized the event “No Distance” at the Diplomatic Academy to celebrate Vietnam PWDs Day (April 18) and promote PWDs inclusion, especially in the school environment.
The event “No Distance” was organized by the Initiative “Connecting Youth, Promoting Inclusion” group established by the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Vietnam, sponsored by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund in coordination with 7 Associations, Clubs, Groups and Centers of PWDs.
With the participation of organizers and guests; especially more than 100 students of the Diplomatic Academy and PWDs, the event hopes to use the young people's own way to bring young people a realistic view of the current situation of PWD integration in the school environment, thereby encouraging the young generation of Vietnam to participate more in activities promoting PWD integration.
In Vietnam, nearly 1 in 14 people have a disability, not to mention millions of people with disabilities who are not recorded. However, many people with disabilities, especially young people, are at risk of being left behind due to a lack of necessary support in the face of barriers ineducation , health care and employment.
At the program, Mr. Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Vietnam; Mr. Pham Quang Khoat, Vice President of Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities, both emphasized the role of youth as a driving force for innovation, providing creative solutions to build a society that cares about the abilities and needs of all people. Therefore, with two sessions focusing on students, the event “No Distance” has great significance in building an inclusive future world for all.
Entering the first main session, moderated by Ms. Nguyen Minh Chau, UNDP National Coordinator for Disability Inclusion, two speakers who are PWDs shared stories of overcoming barriers, narrowing gaps, and fighting for basic rights that everyone should have.
The story of Hoang Thi Phuong, who once felt inferior because "even geese can walk on two legs, why can't I?", decided to drop out of high school for fear of being ostracized, but due to a strong urge to help other disabled students, she decided to go back to school and participate in many meaningful activities, especially in promoting the integration of people with disabilities.
The story of blind MC Huong Giang, who never felt pitiful or defective until others pitied her, or when she was hurt with words like "useless", "in the future, I will only have my parents to support me" and the journey of overcoming the darkness to shine brightly on many big stages.
In the second session, which was also the most anticipated session, students were able to directly participate in activities to experience the difficulties of PWDs with the guidance and teaching support of PWD Clubs, Associations, and Groups. Throughout the session, the academy was filled with laughter and “ah” and “oh” sounds when students were exposed to sign language, tactile books, Braille, using wheelchairs, or moving in the dark for the first time.
Through authentic stories and interesting experiences, students gained a comprehensive view and somewhat understood the difficulties of PWDs, further appreciating their efforts to overcome barriers in life. They were particularly impressed with the experiential activities, sharing that these were “difficult” but also very interesting, especially when interacting with seniors and students with disabilities.
Kieu Gia Bao, a first-year student at the Diplomatic Academy, shared: “After listening to the stories of the speakers who are young PWDs, I was very moved by their determination and the difficulties they had to overcome to rise up in life. After participating in the experiential activities, I found it really difficult when disabled people have to use other tools and languages to replace the communication and transportation methods that we usually use. Vietnamese society needs to be a society designed not only for healthy people but also for people with disabilities so that they can live independently and integrate."
In addition, the cultural exchange between Solar Dance Club - Hanoi Blind Dance Club and students of the Diplomatic Academy was also a highlight of the event, sending an artistic message that erases all distances.
The “No Distance” event is a meaningful activity on the occasion of the Vietnam Day for People with Disabilities, especially when it is organized by young people and aimed at young people. The event not only provides a playground for students and people with disabilities to interact, but also serves as a premise to replicate the model and promote more initiatives from future owners of the world towards realizing the United Nations’ goals on the inclusion of people with disabilities.
The event is part of the UNited Youth for Inclusion Initiative, initiated by the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy and the United Nations Joint Project Group to promote youth contributions to the United Nations' common goals on inclusion of people with disabilities.
(baodansinh.vn)
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