Dr. Hoang-Yen Thi Vo

Dr. Hoang-Yen Thi Vo is a tireless activist for the rights of people with disabilities in Vietnam, a social worker and disability educator for colleges, GOs, and NGOs with projects or programs on disability, and consultant for several disability-related community programs.

In 2005, Yen founded the Disability Research and Capacity Development (DRD) Center based in Ho Chi Minh City to transform her community and empower people with disabilities to fulfill their education and employment goals. Under her direction, DRD later expanded its network to include 35 organizations in southern Vietnam, providing an array of services to thousands of individuals annually. In addition to her work at DRD, Yen serves as the Vice President of the Vietnam Federation on Disability.

Yen was named one of Forbes Vietnam’s ‘50 Most Influential Women’ in 2019. She has received several prestigious awards and accolades over the years for developing life-changing resources for people with disabilities, such as the Ramon Magsaysay Award (known as the Asian Nobel Prize), Australia Leadership Award, the U.S. President’s Call to Service Award, and the Kazuo Itoga Prize.