Social Work Activities Supporting Vocational Training and Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Binh My Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Vocational training and employment support for persons with disabilities (PWDs) are essential solutions for ensuring social security, enhancing self-reliance, and promoting community inclusion. In Bình Mỹ Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, social work has played an important bridging role in facilitating PWDs’ access to vocational training programs and employment opportunities appropriate to their capacities. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys of PWDs with in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, along with document analysis and field observations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis, and the effectiveness of social work activities was examined from a rights-based social work perspective and a sustainable livelihoods approach. The findings indicate that vocational training and employment support activities have achieved several positive outcomes, particularly in promoting self-employment and household economic development among PWDs. However, these activities remain constrained by limited resources, a lack of job diversity, and insufficient engagement from the business sector, resulting in unequal access and benefits across different groups of PWDs. Based on these findings, the study proposes several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of social work interventions in supporting employment for persons with disabilities at the local level.