 Most of them are living substandard lives, especially the ones in rural areas  Lack of opportunities to access education and employment due to: - barriers in environment - discrimination - too much care and protection

 Initially a Project funded by Nippon Foundation through DPI-AP in 2009  Legal status as member organization of Hanoi Disabled Persons’ Association (Hanoi DP) in 2014  Target group: limited within people with mobility severe disabilities – cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and wheelchair users

 Promote the right to independent living of people with severe disabilities with help from the IL Service  Seek for the recognition and support of the Government to the ILC model  Sustainability of an assistive model

 Help PWDs live independently and develop their potential and abilities in the community  Be a voice to protect the rights of PWDs to access opportunities to education  Work with the Government for their support to the IL service model

1. Peer counseling 2. Program of training on IL skills 3. Capacity building for PWDs 4. Training and provide personal assistants 5. Other supports (for instance: providing information on Vietnamese welfare system, how to get the house modified for accessibility, transportation with lift van to PWD…)

 Working in cooperation with MOLISA and other Government agencies and local authorities  Working with the Media to disseminate IL and ILC model, to raise awareness on PA service and PA job  Peer Counseling Trainings

Purposes: Rebuild self- confidence Build or rebuild social relations Help with integration into community

Learning experiences

 Elementary and advanced trainings to PAs  Working with the media to be on TV talks and interviews and videos  Using the lift van as a travel service for severely disabled persons  IL dissemination to Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho and Quy Nhon DPO  Help to form IL Groups in Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho

 Helped and supported outdoor activities to the participants of the PC trainings (shopping, outings and on picnic)  organizing skill to PWDs  Elementary and advanced IL Skills Trainings to PWD (communication skills, moving in the house, traveling in wheelchair, planning, group activities, cooking, living in community, advocacy)

 Respect the independence of their children  Teaching their disabled children living skills and everyday house work  Enable the work of PA during their working time

 With the PA service, PWD have become confident and demonstrate their abilities  The disabled members have done advocacy in different ways: writing articles in newspapers, meetings and seminars…  A newsletter has been created and run by the members

 Making personal assistant become a job for young people, promoting the social assistance for PWD  IL has been recognized by the Government as a good model to provide assistive services to PWD, and with the impact of Hanoi ILC, IL has been introduced into the draft Disability Law  A number of persons with severe disabilities are using PA service with working PAs

 With DPOs for the Legislation Dissemination and Capacity Building  Peer Counseling to district DPOs  With Thanh Cong Taxi for a Friendly Taxi for PWDs  With ASEAN Disability Forum to promote the implementation of the CRPD generally and IL particularly  With Social Work Faculties of different universities

 The service would be budgeted by the Government to develop the assistance service to people with severe disabilities  NGO support the sustainability of the model  Contribution of the community

Thank you