This dataset provides summary reports of focus group interviews conducted with persons with disabilities in an urban (Dong Da) and semi-urban (Thanh Tri) district of Hanoi, north Vietnam, in September 2013. Six focus group interviews were conducted with three in each location. Where possible, focus groups were organized to elicit information from participants within the same disability type. This included a deaf group (with sign interpreter) in the urban district, a group of individuals who were blind or vision impaired in the semi-urban district, and a group with physical disabilities in each location. Two groups contained a mix of people with different disabilities in each location. Three key themes and questions were addressed: (i) What are the costs associated with disability for the household? (ii) What mechanisms do households use to cope with the costs of disability? (iii) How do available formal social protection supports perform against needs? People with disabilities (PWDs) represent a disproportionately high proportion of the world's poor. Recognising the reciprocal relationship between disability and poverty, leading to increased vulnerability and social exclusion, disability has been flagged as a key development issue in meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and in eradicating world poverty. As a consequence, PWDs are increasingly being mainstreamed into government social protection programmes in low- and middle-income countries. However, there has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of these programmes with respect to PWDs. This research evaluates the efficacy of two government social protection programmes for PWDs in Vietnam, including a cash transfer programme and a free health insurance programme. To understand the multi-dimensional aspects of the efficacy of social protection programmes, the research adopts a mixed methods approach that includes quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. Rigorous quantitative analysis of national household survey data will be combined with qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders from Government, Disabled People's Organisations, and PWDs and their families, to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes in targeting PWDs and in providing financial protection against poverty.

Focus Group interviews conducted by research partners, Inclusive Development Action (IDEA), a disabled people’s association, and the University of Labour and Social Affairs (ULSA).