Universal design is the design of buildings, products, or environments to make them accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability, or other factors. On November 15, USAID’s Raising Voices Creating Opportunities activity facilitated a national consultation workshop on Universal Transportation Design Criteria in Vietnam. This workshop created a platform for the National Coordination Committee on Disabilities; the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; the Transport Development Strategy Institute; and the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) to discuss the development of transportation design criteria in Vietnam. This is the first open discussion among stakeholders at the national level after a series of technical meetings and consultation sessions at the provincial level on accessibility to public transportation and the universal design criteria to be applied in the coming years.

So What? By supporting MOT to develop Universal Transportation Design Criteria, USAID is helping improve physical access to public transportation, thus improving the quality of life of millions of persons with disabilities as well as the aging population in Vietnam.