The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Vietnam has announced its funding opportunities through its Vietnam Disabilities Annual Program Statement (APS) with an estimated $20 million budget for the next five years. The program is aimed to seek Vietnamese and international non-governmental organizations to expand opportunities for persons with disabilities in the Southeast Asian country. “We hope to fund multiple programs to enhance the health and well-being of Vietnamese persons with disabilities through physical, occupational and speech therapy-related services, awareness, and advocacy strengthening,” said USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Parker. “Support of policymaking at the national level and more comprehensive programming in targeted provinces in Vietnam will extend the important legacy of work in this area that began with Senator Patrick Leahy’s support in 1989.” Assisting persons with disabilities is one of the top priorities for the U.S. Government in Vietnam since 1989 with an aim to improve the health, independence, and participation of persons with disabilities in economic and social life. U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed at a meeting with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang at the White House in July 2013 that the U.S.’s commitment to providing further medical and other care and assistance for persons with disabilities, regardless of cause. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times June 23 p3)
