HANOI, Vietnam — Do Duc Cuong has learned to live with his disability well. Most people he meets barely notice that his right forearm is nearly immobile. He was struck with a high fever as a child, he explains, and has not been able to move his right hand since.

"It can't move up," he demonstrates. "Now I have to use my left hand, because it's lame."

For the last three months, Do Duc, now 24, has been learning software skills at PWD Soft, a private enterprise in Hanoi, Vietnam that offers high-tech training to people with disabilities.

Do Duc's experience in the information technology field has boosted his confidence. He no longer fears others knowing about his disability.

"First, I had difficulties communicating with others. I was scared they would know about my condition," he admits. "But then I came here, and I feel more integrated with others, because I see many people are in similar situations."

Hoang Minh Tu came to work at PWD Soft around the same time as Do Duc. Five years ago, at age 19, Hoang Minh suffered chemical burns that severely disfigured her face. She's reluctant to talk about the accident and asks to be photographed only with her long, black hair draping her profile.

Hoang Minh's shyness abates as she speaks of her job, and she chuckles at the observation that as one of two women in the room, she is well outnumbered by the dozen or so male students. The gender gap, she's quick to point out, is not due to lack of skill.

"Once they have the knowledge of IT [information technology], both men and women are equal."

Hoang Minh had to lobby her father for permission to pursue a career instead of staying at home. "When I told him that this kind of [office] job is suited for me, and it would help build my confidence, he agreed with that and supported me."

Do Duc's family also encourages his job pursuit. In May, Do Duc will be among the first to begin accelerated classes at the new Information Technology Training Center, set up through a partnership of the Hanoi College of Information Technology and Catholic Relief Services, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Information Technology Training Center's curriculum includes software and technology education; training on specialized equipment adapted for people with sight, hearing and mobility impairments; plus job placement upon graduation at international, high-tech companies with a presence in Vietnam.

Do Duc hopes that after finishing the accelerated two-year program at the Hanoi College of Information Technology, he'll land a job as a software engineer. "It doesn't require me to work with my hands or legs — it's not labor-intensive. I can use my brain, my mind for this job."

Bridging the Divide

Do Duc and Hoang Minh are breaking stereotypes about disability. Of the estimated 5 million people with disabilities in Vietnam (6 to 7 percent of the population), the majority live in rural areas and are unemployed. Those who do find work often perform unskilled manual labor, such as selling lottery tickets or making toothpicks.

"There is a clear correlation between disability and poverty," says Andrew Wells-Dang, deputy country representative and supervisor of CRS Vietnam's Inclusive Education programs.

Stigma and lack of early education are major factors in this correlation. Shame keeps some families from sending children with disabilities outside the house, much less to school. And the capacity of educators to teach children with disabilities varies widely from location to location.

In the last 12 years, CRS and its Vietnamese partners have made tremendous progress in bringing children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, training teachers on how to instruct students with physical and mental challenges, and helping the Vietnamese government shape policies that promote inclusive education.

Vietnam's recent economic growth — acceptance into the World Trade Organization, the increasing presence of international high-tech companies, and a national commitment to science and technology — has made the need for job creation for people with disabilities even more pressing.

"The economic boom can also benefit people with disabilities," says Wells-Dang, "but only if they can bridge the so-called digital divide."

'What Everybody Wants'

The vision of the training project is not only to integrate people with disabilities into working society, but to equip them with the skills necessary to succeed in the country's future economic expansion.

"IT is a vehicle to be able to provide that avenue," says Dovan Du Do, founder of PWD Soft and now a consultant to CRS on the Information Technology Training Center. "Achieve independence, quality of life, and family. That's what everybody in the world wants to have."

Dovan Du knows this struggle firsthand. At the age of 14, he lost an arm and leg while working as a combat interpreter for U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. He went on to pursue an education in the United States and led a successful career in the U.S. high-tech sector for more than 20 years. In the late 1990s he returned to Vietnam to advocate for people with disabilities.

"We want people to graduate as good IT experts, not because they're handicapped," Dovan Du asserts. "That is what we are trying to eradicate in Vietnam: feeling sorry, pity, handouts. I use pretty powerful terminology to let people know, hey, give us equal access so we can be the best we can be."

Vietnam's labor code stipulates that all businesses must employ people with disabilities as 2 to 3 percent of their total work force, but the quota is not enforced by the government. Much of Dovan Du's work involves educating participating companies on how to provide an accessible business environment. Examples include providing wheelchair ramps and assistive devices — such as Braille typewriters — for the visually impaired.

Making Dreams Come True

The Information Technology Training Center officially opens at the Hanoi College of Information Technology in May. Equipped with accessible, state-of-the-art Dell computers and accessories, the center can seat up to 25 students at one time. Those who come from outside of Hanoi — from as far as Ho Chi Minh City, almost 1100 miles away — will receive subsidized housing at an off-campus student residence, as well as transportation to and from the center.

More than 100 full- and part-time students with disabilities will receive training in the first year, and enrollment is expected to increase to 170 in the second year. All graduates will be placed in computer-related jobs by the end of 2009.

Do Duc is happy to get started with his training. Although he can't say for sure how he hopes a new job might change his life after graduation, his goal of becoming a software engineer is clear.

"That is my dream, and I will try to make it come true."