Top 12 Exemplary Disabled Individuals in Vietnam

Appearing at the event where Nick Vujicic interacted with Vietnamese audiences, young Nguyen Linh Chi from Yen Bai has drawn much attention, earning her the special title of “Vietnam's Nick Vujicic.” Since birth, Linh Chi has faced the effects of Agent Orange, leaving her without arms and legs.

Despite her physical challenges, Linh Chi's parents remain joyful. In addition to finding happiness in singing and dancing with friends, Chi also loves reading poetry and creating art. During study hours, she sits at her desk with a pen tightly clutched in her mouth and one hand. Each stroke of the pen involves coordinated movements of her hand and mouth. 'I ask while going, and I greet when returning,' Chi spells out, then clips the pen into her mouth, writing each word on the notebook meticulously. Sometimes, her hand hurts after writing.

Rising above pain and a challenging fate, with the love and support from her parents and family, Linh Chi strives for independence. After days of rigorous practice walking on two stainless steel pipes, Linh Chi can now hold objects and pour drinks. More impressively, she has mastered reading and writing by clamping the pen with her chin. Becoming an exemplary figure of resilience and a spirit of eagerness to learn, Linh Chi has recently deservedly received a scholarship.

Good news is that Linh Chi has received full support for the expenses of getting prosthetic limbs from the Vietnam Training and Orthopedic Technical Center (Vietcot).

Born and raised in the ancient land of Quang Tri, teacher Tran Quoc Hoan faced paralysis in half of his body, rendering his legs immobile. Overcoming numerous hardships and with the support of his compassionate parents, he was determined to pursue education. After completing high school, he decided to open a class at home to teach underprivileged children in his community. This special class, devoid of a blackboard and chalk, consisted of only two rows of wooden desks and a wheelchair, and it was entirely free of charge.

Many students who emerged from this humble beginning are now studying at top universities in the country, such as the National Economics University in Hanoi, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and the University of Transport and Communications. In addition to his role as a humanities teacher, Tran Quoc Hoan is also known as a renowned disabled athlete in Quang Tri province. In 2006, he boldly registered to participate in a sports competition for people with disabilities in Quang Tri province, and surprisingly, in his first attempt, he achieved a high ranking in the wheelchair category.

After joining the disabled sports team of Dong Ha city, he began participating in national disabled sports competitions. In 2007, in his first national sports competition, he confidently won a silver medal for the Quang Tri delegation. Subsequently, Tran Quoc Hoan continued to participate in many national and regional tournaments, consistently winning impressive awards. Currently, he holds 12 gold medals, 19 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals.

Although the lives of Mr. Hoan and his wife are still full of challenges, no matter how difficult it gets, they are determined to maintain this loving class. He sees nurturing and educating these children as a passion in life.

Born into a pure farming family in the impoverished province of Nghe An, Nguyen Thao Van is the younger sister of the IT knight Nguyen Cong Hung (deceased). Like her brother, Van was born normal but as she grew older, her body deformed, stunted, and failed to develop. Refusing to succumb to fate and aware that only education could improve her life, Thao Van and her brother overcame countless difficulties and hardships to complete high school in their hometown.

Initially, Van's schooling faced numerous challenges. In addition to having to use a wheelchair to get to class, she was often teased by friends with many malicious jokes. Out of love for her, her parents enrolled Van in a school for disabled children to spare her from pity and make it easier for her to integrate with her peers. Always aware of her circumstances and sympathetic to her hardworking parents who had to raise two disabled children, Thao Van made efforts to excel in her studies. In the 9th grade, Van won first prize in chess, in the 10th grade, she won first prize in Chinese chess at the provincial high school level. In 2003, she was excellent in English.

The turning point in Thao Van's life came when she was introduced to the world of computers and information technology by her brother. 'I feel the fate and passion of my life with information technology, because of its convenient functions for transmitting information, and features that are very suitable for people with disabilities to operate and develop,' she said.

Thao Van began to build a new life by submitting her resume and being recruited into a joint venture between Vietnam and Denmark, specializing in providing software for international real estate companies with a high salary. In 2006, her disabled brother and a group of friends opened the Living Spirit Company in Hanoi to introduce, provide career guidance, and offer free training for people with disabilities. The main fields of activity are information technology and foreign languages.

As of now, the Living Spirit Center has received and trained nearly 600 students, of which 65% of the students trained at the center have stable jobs. Many of them return to the center as volunteer lecturers for other students. The courses here not only help people with disabilities acquire computer knowledge, rekindle their confidence, and will to live but also affirm their role in society.

The petite Thao Van also organizes many social charity programs such as the 'Green Chung Cake' program - spring of Mau Ty; 'Bringing Mid-Autumn to Flooded Areas' for 1,000 poor children in Minh Quan commune (Chan Yen, Yen Bai) with a donated amount of 27 million VND; organizing Christmas for the unfortunate lives in Nghi Loc district, Nghe An with 20 million VND; and donating 10,000 genuine antivirus software to the disabled community worth billions of VND.

Blind since birth, young Bui Ngoc Thinh embraced music at the age of 6. At 12, Thinh set an Asian record, being the blind boy who played the most musical instruments (7 instruments). Now, at 14, this record holder has conquered 12 different types of instruments. The only child in a family where both parents are blind, but with the love of his parents and relentless efforts in learning, Thinh has played over a hundred songs using various instruments.

Diligently pursuing traditional music until the age of 9, the blind boy started taking an interest in electronic instruments. Watching TV, listening to the radio, captivated by organ music, Thinh asked his parents to take him to Mr. Nguyen Giang Chau's house for lessons. With a cherubic face, he revealed, 'I learn so that every time I perform, if someone plays modern music, I can play along; when someone plays traditional instruments, I can also play in harmony with the ancient instruments.'

At 11, Thinh started playing the đàn sến and đàn nhị, then proceeded to become friends with the đàn tranh and đàn kìm. Entering the world of music fueled by passion, blind boy Bui Ngoc Thinh found solace in music, bringing joy to overcome the challenges of fate. No longer ashamed, no longer sad about living in darkness, the blind boy found his own light: the light from music. And he became the light, the spiritual support for his parents.

From simple stages set up to perform for the people in some rural areas of Ninh Hoa, blind boy Bui Ngoc Thinh stepped onto the stage of the Hanoi Opera House, performing in front of hundreds of music-savvy audiences. Listening to Thinh's music, many were moved to silence.

Perhaps for the average person, completing high school and moving on to college is an achievement, but for those who are deaf-mute, it is extraordinary. Doan Pham Khiem, not only known as a consistently excellent student for many years but also the top student in Fine Arts at Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. He is the first deaf-mute student to attend a regular university, surprising many. When he was just over 1 year old, a sudden fever struck like a tragedy, permanently taking away his ability to speak and hear.

Despite the crumbling world around him, with effort, Khiem started going to school to familiarize himself with words through sign languages. With consecutive successes, he proudly became one of the top 5 contributors to the project compiling the Vietnamese Sign Language Dictionary to teach deaf-mute people nationwide. He is also a main lecturer, providing free education to deaf-mute individuals, helping them achieve higher education and integrate into society.

Khiem and his mother dream of building a school exclusively for the deaf-mute, where they will be the main teachers. Currently, Khiem is the best sign language teacher for normal people. His free classes on two evenings a week always attract a large number of students, teachers, and specialized researchers.

Born into a poor and large family, unfortunate to have been born without both arms due to a congenital defect, Tri remains optimistic and determined to study and change his life. Loving his parents, Tri lifted himself up, trained his legs for survival, and surprisingly, he can write.

Despite having no arms, writing with his feet, Tri has been a consistently good student throughout 12 years of schooling, scoring 41 points in the 12th-grade graduation exam. Aware of his own disability and the difficult family circumstances, the poor student registered for the only major in Information Technology at An Giang University. With a score of 13, Tri was admitted to the university, to the surprise and admiration of his teachers, and friends at Thanh My Tay High School. Recalling the moment the teacher called to announce the results, Tri felt like he was still dreaming. 'My passion is in computer science. Therefore, my dream is to take the A-level exam in information technology. When I heard that I passed the university exam, I was very happy. Going to university is a difficult and challenging step because my family is still poor, but I will try to overcome it to fulfill my dream ahead,' the new student said.

Tri confides that the person he admires and respects the most is teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ky. The teacher instilled the will to live and belief in the future for him. There were times when Tri felt tired and discouraged by the hardships of life, but the image of teacher Ky and the desire to learn helped him overcome it.

Earning the admiration of many young people, the college student from the sunny land of Ninh Thuan, Phan Thi Rat, is an exemplary filial student. Her family of six faces the challenge of four members, including her father, sister, younger sister, and herself, suffering from a genetic disease causing gradual paralysis of limbs.

With the love of her parents and a determined spirit, she overcame adversities with commendable academic achievements, consistently excelling in studies and becoming a university student. Despite using a wheelchair for mobility, this disabled female student is passionate about social activities, enjoying traveling to broaden her knowledge.

Every year, Rat participates in the Green Summer Campaign organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union. At school, Rat is a member of the Audiobook Club (aiming to bring books to the visually impaired through audio). In society, Rat is the team leader of the Breakthrough group (a group of young disabled people with abilities and a desire to change their lives) under the Disability and Development Center (DRD). In any activity, Rat is always dynamic, lively, and unites everyone. Rat even boldly pushed her wheelchair onto the stage to act as the MC in front of hundreds of guests...

Additionally, another special hobby of Rat is traveling everywhere. Despite facing many difficulties in getting around, Rat is eager to explore and visit many places to broaden her understanding. Rat has experienced train journeys, visited Buu Long tourist area in Dong Nai, ascended the Bitexco Tower, the tallest building in the city, to see everything below her eye level, and visited the Giang Dien waterfall area. On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), 2013, Rat was voted one of the 12 most exemplary disabled individuals in Vietnam for her resilience and social activism. With her determination to overcome difficulties and her spirit of social activism, she is one of the outstanding examples of disabled individuals.

Blossoming Bế Thị Băng, a proud member of the Tày ethnic group from Cao Bằng. She is renowned as the longest-standing one-legged individual in Vietnam. Despite losing one leg in an unfortunate accident ten years ago, Bế Thị Băng has never spent a day in a wheelchair.

At the age of 24 (2012), having just graduated in the field of Medical Sciences from Thai Nguyen University, on her way to work, the young woman collided with a truck. Waking up in the hospital, upon hearing the doctor tell her father, 'Your daughter will only be able to sit in a wheelchair in the future, unable to stand,' Băng seriously contemplated her life and vowed to herself that she would practice standing, no matter how challenging it might be.

Few know that Bế Thị Băng texted the person driving the vehicle that caused her accident, expressing a desire for a pair of wooden crutches to practice walking. Her determination reached new heights when, less than two months after leaving the hospital, she voluntarily asked the doctor to attach an artificial anus for her, despite knowing that this procedure could only be done when her body fully recovered from the accident.

Enduring immense pain, numerous falls with wounds that had not completely healed... but that did not diminish Băng's determination to stand on one leg. When she took her first step onto the doorstep, Bế Thị Băng confidently assured herself that she would stand firm on her remaining leg. The evidence is that, for the past 10 years, she has never sat in a wheelchair, and she even wears high heels - a hobby shared by many other ordinary girls. With extraordinary determination, she was crowned Miss Crescent Moon in 2019.

Bế Thị Băng actively participates in community activities, appearing in inspirational talks for students, and the less privileged. After numerous difficulties following the accident, she firmly stayed in Hanoi to take care of herself and seek employment. Many places rejected her, but luck smiled when she found a job without pay at a small clinic. With her determination and diligence, the clinic owner took notice and started paying her from the first month.

Thus, Băng's diligent efforts were rewarded with enough savings to assist her family, along with a business partner, in opening a cosmetic dentistry clinic. To date, she also owns a private homestay tourism area, and ventures in the cosmetics business. Currently, Bế Thị Băng is an Ambassador for the Mottainai Foundation, specializing in helping victims of traffic accidents. She has participated in many volunteer activities, assisting and supporting people with disabilities similar to hers.