From Zhou Lulu
The cause of persons with disabilities is an important part of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the cause of supporting persons with disabilities an important symbol of social progress.
Today, the rights and interests of persons with disabilities are better protected in China. Around 85 million persons with disabilities have entered a moderately prosperous society, and their sense of gain, happiness and security continue to improve.
As participants, contributors and beneficiaries of economic and social development, a majority of persons with disabilities have seen unremitting self-improvement on a broad scale, scripting a brilliant chapter of struggle in their lives.
As a multi-ethnic country, China has always attached importance to the development and protection of the cause of persons with disabilities. Through legislation and policy formulation, China has safeguarded the rights and interests of persons with disabilities. It has gradually formed a legal system for the cause of persons with disabilities, with the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China as the core, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of the Disabled as the main body, the Regulations on the Education of the Disabled, the Regulations on the Employment of the Disabled, the Regulations on the Construction of an Accessible Environment and the Regulations on the Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Disabled as important support, and normative documents as supplement. At the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress and the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing in March, many deputies and members put forward suggestions and proposals related to education, employment, rehabilitation, social security and accessibility of the persons with disabilities.
China attaches great importance to the protection of the right to education of persons with disabilities. In past decades, China has made remarkable achievements, providing them more educational opportunities and development space. China guarantees them equal right to education. It has promulgated and revised the Regulations on Education of Persons with Disabilities, which has included education of persons with disabilities in the national plan. It has formulated and implemented the three-phase action plan for the development and improvement of special education, comprehensively promoted integrated education, and focused on improving the education level of persons with disabilities.
China has also promulgated the Regulations on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, which actively promotes employment of persons with disabilities and their social integration.
Employers that formally recruit persons with disabilities are provided with post subsidies, social insurance subsidies, vocational training subsidies, subsidies for the purchase and renovation of facilities and equipment, and vocational skill assessment subsidies. Also, rewards are given to employers that arrange for a disproportionate number of persons with disabilities to be employed. Currently, such employers include massage agencies for the blind, vocational rehabilitation factories, and employment bases.
In recent years, various regions have explored new forms of employment for persons with disabilities. New jobs such as that of telephone customer service representative, data annotator and barrier-free travel service engineer have emerged as new options for people with disabilities.
China also attaches great importance to the protection of the health rights of persons with disabilities. It has promulgated the Regulations on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, incorporated rehabilitation of persons with disabilities into the outline of planning and long-term goals, formulated and implemented two national disability prevention action plans, comprehensively carried out disability prevention, vigorously promoted rehabilitation services, and strived to achieve the goal of “rehabilitation services for all persons with disabilities”.
The current Catalogue of Basic Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Disabilities specifies basic rehabilitation services, including medical treatment, rehabilitation training, adaptation of assistive devices, and supportive services, for persons with visual, hearing, physical, mental, and spiritual disabilities. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
