Parents are also not equipped with the skills to meet the special needs of their disabled child or children. Poverty has only exacerbated matters. While the government of Vietnam has identified poverty as a major problem, and is constantly working to provide programmes for poverty alleviation, it must be conceded that the problem will not disappear overnight. Underlying causes such as geographic and social isolation, and lack of access to available resources are cutting off the poor from participating in the enabling environment being created by the country's doi moi policy implemented about 15 years ago. Mrs Lien explains how this state of affairs leaves families with disabled children at a big disadvantage.
People here are very poor.
They don't have the money or the knowledge to help themselves or their disabled children. Poverty is the major problem. Some parents find it difficult to accept their child's disability and isolate them. They are ashamed of the child and don't want others to see. What they need is education, to know that it is all right for their children to go out and mix around with other normal as well as disabled children so that they can better integrate into society.