Netherlands Leprosy Relief Mekong (NLR) is a Dutch-based international civil society organisation striving for a world free of leprosy and exclusion against people living with disabilities in Africa and Southeast Asia. NLR is the host Organisation for Handspeak in Vietnam. NLR is an active member of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP) and the Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD). NLR works closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Neglected Tropical Disease Non-governmental Development Organisation Network (NNN). NLR actively advocates for the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Brighten Vietnamese Sign Language project, championed by the grassroots initiative called HandSpeak, focuses on addressing barriers that affect the deaf community in the southernmost provinces of Vietnam. The project provides monthly workshops (during one year) to cover important topics relevant to the local deaf community, such as trainings in Sign Language, lessons about deaf history and culture, work on their deaf identity, among others.

This project builds self-confidence, promotes independence, and shares essential useful knowledge for the deaf community by the deaf community. In the spirit of the principle Nothing About Us, Without Us, HandSpeak and its partners (i.e. deaf clubs, deaf association) and other project participants are themselves part of the local deaf community: who belong to the community and understand best about what they need, what they want to learn and to share, and how it should be done. Participants are involved directly from designing the training programme, to sharing, and reaching out to deaf people in other parts of Vietnam.

The project’s ultimate goal is to see each and every deaf individual become independent and confident about who they are and to promote a sense of community and belonging among deaf people throughout the country.