Disability Inclusion in Rural Vietnam: A Case Study of Household Experiences in a WASH Intervention

Lien Pham ()
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Lien Pham: Research & Evaluation, InsightRise, Sydney 2076, Australia

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: This paper examines a donor-funded development project in the rural mountainous districts of Vietnam aimed at improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for vulnerable households, particularly those with disabilities. The study investigates the project’s impact on disability inclusion at the household and community levels and identifies factors that support or hinder progress towards inclusion for people with disabilities. Data from a survey of 600 households and interviews with household members and village chiefs provide insights into the perceptions and attitudes towards persons with disabilities (PWDs), and practices of disability-inclusive WASH. While progress has been made in changing attitudes towards the rights of PWDs, there is still room to improve practices, especially in engaging with PWDs, offering affordable disability-inclusive WASH services, and including them in WASH policy decisions. This paper highlights the need for a comprehensive approach that extends beyond household interventions and emphasizes a shift in mindset towards disability inclusion at all societal levels.

Keywords: disability inclusion; rural mountainous districts; vulnerable households; people with disabilities (PWDs); gender inequality; Vietnam; WASH (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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