[Vnbiz] Welcome brother Tran Ba Thien into VNBIZ

Thu Apr 12 00:53:26 PDT 2007

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am Trần bá thiện

I am working in the field of disability in vietnam as a sociologist with disability study and as a community developer with some projects for people with disability in VN.

I have worked as social workers for people with disability PWD since 1992. First I came to Trung Tam Bao Tro assistant center for PWD then trained PWD skills. Later, I became community developer for them. Since 2001, I have collaborated with Grace Mishler, MA of Social work from US and have done some studies on disability. From the experiences, I have my comment for brother Hoanh's question

In English now, PWD prefer the word "disability". It means that the people don't lose all like unabled people but they have got some types of impairment and cannot use some functions. By the interpreting, you can see everybody is not perfect. Everybody cannot do all then some parts of them cannot be used. it means that everybody is disabled. PWD also explain that there is no unabled person but unabled society. 

For example, when a blind person bump at a traffic light, why? most of us explain that because of his/her blindness. But it's not a correct answer. I have a blind friend. Near his house there is a electric pole. they built it 20 years ago. He never bumps at the pole but many people in his alley have ever bumped at it. Today, they explain that because of friendly environment. The blind man knows where the pole at in his home area. Then he knows how to avoid it. if every pole along streets have been built upper 2 cm higher then normal level of side walks, blind walkers will recognize the poles then will avoid it successfully.

problem of PWD comes from the way that people have designed the society. They have designed it for non disabled people then the designs excludes PWD. the discrimination is the main reason for why PWD in English speaking country don't like the word handicap. they said the history of the word handicap has involved with many bad attitudesagainst PWD. They don't like to be called as cripple, mute etc. Please see my attached file by Mike oliver.

Second, in Vietnamese, long ago they called phe61 nha6n, ta65t nguye62n, ta2n ta65t and etc. Since 1990, many Vietnamese have tried to transform new social awareness of PWD. The politic language needs to be changed too. last June, 2006, From a conference about khuye61t ta65t and ta2n ta65t in Ha Noi, most of participants agreed to use Khuyet tat instead of Tan tat. Then now in formal and in official language we use khuyet tat.i have some newspaper articles about the subject. Please see attachment.

This mailing list focuses on business and economic issues. I'd like to learn form all of you. your ideas will be very helpful for my community development study and projects. 

best luck,
Tran Ba Thien
tranbathien at gmail.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tran Dinh Hoanh 
  To: vnbiz at vietlinks.net 
  Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2007 1:03 AM
  Subject: [Vnbiz] Welcome brother Tran Ba Thien into VNBIZ

  [ Vietnam Business Forum ]

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  Dear CACC,

  Please join to welcome brother Tra^`n Ba' Thie^.n into our VNBIZ family.

  Brother Thien <tranbathien at gmail.com> is in the last year of the chuong trinh tai chuc sociology at University of Social Science and Humanities of HCMC.  He is also a member of the Southeast Asia Study Association, and works the Center for Community Development, 31 Ngo Gia Tu, HCMC as an expert on disabilities.  He also manages the largest forums on disabilities in Vietnam, that is the SMCC and NKTVN forums. 

  That is great, anh Thien.  Welcome in.  Looks like your home is close to the home where I grew up, in Cu Xa Kien Thiet, in front of Nha Tho Ba Chuong.  Now my brother lives there.  Anyway, it is good to know that you are working with the disabled, along with sister Thuy Lien.  Please keep us informed and educated about the disabled. 

  You can start telling me what is the right term to use: is that "disabled" or "handicapped" or what?  I know in Vietnam we say Nguoi khuyet tat.  In the US, for a while there was some argument about the right term to use.  I am not sure what the outcome of that argument is.  If you know the answer, please let us know.  If you don't, I will do an Internet search when I have some free time. 

  In any event, welcome in.  And please feel free to share your heart and mind with us.

  Great day, brother Thien and all.

  Hoanh

  -- 
  Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
  Attorney of Law
  Washington DC 

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