1. Telecommunications/ICTs Policies and Regulations for persons with disabilities in Vietnam Ms. Hoang Anh Department of Science and Technologies Ministry of Information and Communications

2. 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%.

3. 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

4. Policies and regulations on ICT accessibility 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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;

8. 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;

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Thank you Ms. Hoang Anh Department of Science and Technologies Ministry of Information and Communications E-mail: hganh@mic.gov.vn