HanoiTimes - Overcoming bone cancer to find a new lease o­n life developing and managing websites and o­nline forums for the physically disabled, Trinh Cong Thanh is living proof that a disability should be no hindrance to a fulfilling life.

Trinh Cong Thanh had a leg amputated to prevent bone cancer spreading to the rest of his body. The cancer, which he has now beaten, hasn’t stopped him helping others integrate into society and he now runs a popular website “News portal for the Disabled” which took first prize in an ICT contest “Lighting the Hope” in 2006.

Visually-impaired Pham Son Ha sets another shining example for people living with disabilities. A victim of the effects of Agent Orange, Ha didn’t let his inability to stop him looking toward a brighter future.

A graduate of the Hanoi Conservatoire, Ha is also a self-taught IT guru. After his friend gave some lessons at home, Ha took it upon himself to learn IT skills and he has now written IT training documents for friends and peers and runs an IT club for the blind.

As Vietnam prepares to recognize the Day of the Disabled o­n April 18, Thanh and Ha are just two of the many successful IT stories of those living with disabilities. They are also stories that tell of the supportive efforts and activities of government, community and international organizations.

The country has been implementing a project called “Looking towards an integrated community without a barrier and in the interest of the disabled in the Asian-Pacific region” that aims to fulfill UN Millennium Development Goal commitments to give the disabled access to information and communication technology.

Additionally, under a 2006-2010 project the Ministry of Post and Telematics has been coordinating with the Ministry of Science and Technology to produce and launch IT products made for the disabled.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has also kicked-off a fundraising campaign to buy 10,000 computers for the disabled.

A number of contests and prizes have also been held to recognize individuals and groups producing ICT innovations for physically disabled people, including “ICT-Lighting the Hope” and “Samsung Digital Hope 2006-Technology of Dream World”.

Another program to train the disabled in IT is currently underway with assistance from the Hanoi IT Semi-Public High School , the CRS organization and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

It provides free professional training for 75 programmers and is holding basic IT courses for 200 visually-impaired people from February 2007 to September 2008. There are now 5.3 million Vietnamese living with a disability, accounting for 0.6 percent of the national population.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs says that around 70 percent of Vietnam ’s disabled are able to use information technology. Vietnam has celebrated the Day of the Disabled annually o­n April 18 since 1998.