Vietnam’s Policies And Laws For People With Autism Towards The Goal Of Sustainable Development

Abstract

Even before the 2010 Law on People with Disabilities and when Vietnam has not yet ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the idea of respecting and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of people with disabilities has been regulated in the Constitution and various legal documents. That demonstrates the State’s strong commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate in all social activities and enjoy basic rights equally. Proof of this is that Vietnam has issued specific and practical policies and laws for people with disabilities, which encourage and enable people with disabilities to have equal economic, political, cultural, and social rights, and develop their abilities to help them stabilize their lives. Specifically, along with the promulgation of the Law on People with Disabilities in 2010, Vietnam has gradually improved its legal system and policies on people with disabilities through the development of nearly 20 sub-law documents, i.e. Decrees and Circulars guiding the implementation of the Law on Persons with Disabilities. However, currently, one of the shortcomings of the Disability Law on Persons with Disabilities 2010 is that it has not yet confirmed the legal status of people with autism. It can be said that this is not a great limitation of the Law on People with Disabilities 2010 but people with autism should be protected by the law of the State. Because this is the object recognized and protected by the Disability Laws of many countries. In addition, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of “leaving no one behind” set by the United Nations, it is necessary for Vietnam to research and evaluate to perfect its legislation on autism in the near future. The article explains the legal adjustment requirements for people with autism; points out the shortcomings of the current Vietnamese law on people with disabilities in general and people with autism in particular; proposes solutions to improve policies and laws on autistic people towards sustainable development in Vietnam in the coming time.