Warmest greetings from Vietnam

www.deafhcm.org

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of ThaiLand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside Chine, Laos and Cambodia

Area: 331,211.6 square kilometers

Population: 86,116,559 (Estimated in July 2008)

Government type: Communist State

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Religions: Buddhist 9.3%; Catholic 6.7%; Hoa hao 1.5%; Protestant 0.5%; Muslim 0.1%; none 80.8% (1999 census)

Language: Vietnamese (official); Khmer; mountain area languages (Tay, Muong, Nung, etc)

Second language: English; some French; Chinese; Japanese; German; Korean.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community in Vietnam

Prepared by Duong Phuong Hanh

Permanent Vice President Deaf Club of Hochiminh City

Contents

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community1

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Education2

Professional resource for hearing impairment field3

Hearing Healthcare4

Contents

Hearing aids5

Vocational Training & Employment6

Deaf Club of Hochiminh City7

Dreams in future8

1. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Organization

There are around 5.1 million people with disabilities (PWDs) in Vietnam, 13% of PWDs are people with hearing impairments (estimated number from Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs-2007)

Deaf organization almost has each city/ province in Vietnam but Hard of Hearing. Ex: Hochiminh Deaf Club, Ha Noi Deaf Club …

A deaf organization includes deaf, hard of hearing and deafened people. They are small self-help groups less than one hundred persons excepting Hai Noi Deaf Club with 230 people with hearing impairments and Hochiminh Deaf Club with 120.

There is no National Organization of People with hearing impairments.

1. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Organization

Organizations of people with hearing impairments

Objectives: Promote independent living to the members so that they can get equality of opportunities, especially in vocational training and employment. Organize meetings for exchange and sharing.

Activities: To gather persons with hearing impairments living in local

for the improvement social awareness as well as learning Vietnamese sign language. Cooperate with other groups of people with and without disabilities to exchange information and promote social concerns and understanding about hearing impairment community and their culture.

2. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education

Special schools-Deaf and Hard of hearing -Teachers combine speech language with sign language

Conditions of study

Inclusive education-Hard of hearing students study with hearing -With a big size class, they are almost ignored

A small picture

15 schools including kindergarten

Senior education

Junior education

Primary education

Kindergarten

Three primary schools have junior education program but maximum grade 8

Project “Opening University Education for Deaf in VN” has secondary school and the only

Schools for Deaf in Hochiminh City(Hochiminh City is the second biggest one in Vietnam)

3. Professional resource

There are teachers who teach primary schools and Kindergarten for children with hearing impairments.

No teachers are trained to teach at secondary schools for students with hearing impairments.

Some lecturers in early prevention who are teaching in Pedagogic University /College and a Center for Research .

One research student who is hearing is studying at Doctor’s Degree in Audiology in USA.

No expert is for Deaf Education.

4. Hearing Healthcare

There are no hearing healthcare programs from the Government.

Parents take are of all for their children.

Sometimes, children lost their hearing for some years before their sick were discovered.

5. Hearing aids

Its cost’s from 1,000,000 VND to 40,000,000 VND equivalent to 62.5 USD – 2,500 USD while a person’s monthly average income is 1,058,000 VND in Urban and 1,506,000 in country (Estimated in 2006, General Directorate of Statistic - Investment and Planning Ministry).

Students with hearing impairments who are poor are presented hearing aids by individuals, NGOs, foreign organizations/companies.

There are no technical devices supporting hearing.

6. Vocational Training and Employment

Almost all people with hearing impairments have low education and limited communication so it’s very difficult for them to approach vocational training and employment.

People with hearing impairments work mainly as workers in garment companies, as homemakers, drawing workers, motorcycle repairers, etc... There are no tricks as such, but there are some kind-hearted employers who hire people with hearing impairments for specific jobs in their companies.

7. Hochiminh City Deaf Club

Founded in 2001 and is of a self-help group www.deafhcm.org

Has about 120 people with hearing impairments including deaf, hard of hearing and late deafened.

On Sundays, members can join the 8-9:30AM class to learn Vietnamese. After the class, the club has meetings to exchange information and share their joys or difficulties in life.

In the third week of month, The Board organizes skill training sessions, or joined activities with people without disabilities.

8. Dreams in future

Social activities

Good education

More chances of employment

Participate in and

Have

More confidence

Right thoughts

about their values

More life skills

People with hearing impairments

8. Dreams in future

TargetTargetWorld

Asian

National

Self help

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