Telecommunications/ICTs Policies and Regulations

for persons with disabilities in Vietnam

Ms. Hoang AnhDepartment of Science and Technologies

Ministry of Information and Communications

PWDs - Introduction

• Total population: 86 mil

- People with disabilities : 6.7 mil (7.8%)

- Women with disabilities: 3.6 mil (53.8%)

- Children with disabilities: 1.2 mil• Source: General Directory of Statistic, Vietnam’s Population and housing census

conducted in 2009.

• Other statistics on PWDs in Vietnam of international organizations give the ratio of PWDs population more than 10%.

PWDs - Introduction

• 75% PWDs living in country• 69% PWDs in working age (and 15% of them

have a job).• 80% PWDs depending on their families and social

pension.• 75% households with People with disabilities live

in rural areas and 32.5% is classified as poor households

Policies and regulations on ICT Policies and regulations on ICT accessibilityaccessibility

• Government documents:– People with disabilities Act (2010)– Decision No. 1019/QĐ-TTg (2012)

• Ministry documents:– Circular No. 26/2009/TT-BTTTT– Circular No. 28/2009/TT-BTTTT

Government documents

• People with disabilities Act:– Rights of PWDs on access information technology;– Implementation of PWDs access ICT policies;– Agencies, in their responsibility, communicate and

educate to enhance PWDs awareness;– Apply and develop ICT for PWDs;– Broadcasting programs with Vietnamese subtitle and

sign language;– Give incentives to research, develop and provide ICT

products and services for PWDs.

Government documents• Decision No. 1019/QĐ-TTg, Project for aiding

handicapped people 2012-2020– Aim: Increasing the rate of PWDs accessing

and using ICT;– Activity: Ading PWDs to access and use ICT;– Responsibility agency: Ministry of Information

and Communications

Ministry documents

• Circular No. 26/2009/TT-BTTTT, rules for information supply and accessibilities guarantee for websites of government agencies, the following are details contents related with PWDs :

– Access to all funtions of website through keyboard;

– Using suitable colour and contrast rate;

– Apply text contents for non-text contents (images, charts…);

– Not use blinking characters;

– Using directory for contents of website;

Ministry documents

• Circular No. 28/2009/TT-BTTTT, rules for using standards, assistive technologies aiding people with disables to access to and use information and communications, the details are following:– List of standards aiding PWDs accessing ICT;– National broadcasting programs must using

technologies to aid people with hearing problems;

Standardization- TCVN 8701:2011: Public Internet Access Points –

technical requirements for aiding older persons and persons with disabilities to access to and use.

- TCVN 9247:2012: Telecommunication products and services assisting persons with disabilities and older persons– basic requirements.

- TCVN 9248:2012: Telecommunication products and services assisting persons with disabilities and older persons– Design guidelines for interactive services using DTMF input

Standardization

- TCVN 9249:2012: Information and communication products and services assisting persons with disabilities and older persons - Design guidelines ;

- TCVN 9803:2013: Telephone transmission quality – Coupling Hearing Aids to Telephone sets;

- TCVN 9804:2013: Service quality - Sign language and lip-reading real-time conversation using low bit rate video communication

Other activities• Designing and constructing somes websites

following WCAG 2.0; the e-learning system for blind people.

• Programming:- Vietalk4Jaw – Vietnamese format engine using

with screen reading software Jaw- A software converting e-document (of primary

school) for vocally disabled people - Voice control system for electronic wheelchair- Talk helper software.• Researching on:- Obstacle alarming device for visually disabled

people - Hearing aid device

Planning actions- Continue to research on policies and regulations to

improve ICT accessibility; - Continue to develop ICT accessibility standards;- Research and develop ATs and products using

ATs;- Operate accessible websites;- Apply ICT to construct accessibility education

programs;- Support ICT training cources, ICT products for

PWDs;- Increase the number of television programs using

sign-language interpretation.

Proposals

• Supporting projects on improving IT knowlegde of PWDs.

• Give consultants to help ICT companies to design and provide ICT services that PWD can access and use.

• Enhancing experience exchange on making policies and implemantation from ITU consultants and other coutries.

Thank you

Ms. Hoang AnhDepartment of Science and Technologies

Ministry of Information and CommunicationsE-mail: hganh@mic.gov.vn