Zhang Haidi, chairperson of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) and president of Rehabilitation International (RI), recently shared the progress made in China's programs for people with disabilities over the past decade at a symposium held by the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body.

Zhang said that the cause benefitting people with disabilities is the significant and sacred mission of improving living standards and the major criterion for measuring social progress. 

Rehabilitation is a top priority for people with disabilities. Over the past decade, the work related to rehabilitation in China has made great progress. The national assistant system for children with disabilities has been set up, where many children have received rehabilitation treatment, bringing hope and a future for their families, Zhang said.

According to Zhang, in 2015, she proposed to the State Council, China's cabinet, to build a rehabilitation university supported by the related ministries. Nowadays, the 530,000-square meter modern campus of the University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has taken shape, which aims to ensure every person with disabilities can enjoy rehabilitation services. 

In China, over 95% of children with disabilities can receive their compulsory education, and some with severe disabilities can receive education at home. The CDPF and the Ministry of Education jointly took measures to provide conveniences for national college entrance exam takers with disabilities. More than 10,000 students with disabilities attend college each year. Some people with disabilities have obtained master's and doctoral degrees recently. The fact that people with disabilities have equal opportunities to receive an education in China marks a significant advancement in human rights.

China rolled out a series of policies to support the employment of people with disabilities, better securing their human rights. 430,000 people with disabilities in China have obtained a driver's license, which offers more convenience for their lives. Meanwhile, China attaches great importance to women's employment. For instance, Beautiful Crafts Workshops have been built across the country to help teach women with disabilities how to sew, embroider and weave to increase their income. 

Over the past decade, the intellectual and cultural lives of people with disabilities have been further enriched. The Beijing-based Chinese National Library for the Blind is the top one of its kind in Asia. Moreover, 1,315 reading rooms with books in Braille and audiobooks have been set up across the country, where over 1 million books in Braille have been collected. Major TV news programs are accompanied by sign language and captions. The China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe, performing in over 100 countries and regions, was designated as a UNESCO Artist for Peace. Parasports are also thriving. In 2021, China's Paralympic delegation ranked first in gold medal count and total medal count at the past five Paralympic Games.  

The progress made in the cause of people with disabilities in recent years in China has won wide praise. In 2017, UN Secretary-General Guterres appreciated China's contribution to the international cause of people with disabilities in a congratulatory letter to the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2013-2022) held in Beijing in 2017. Presidents of the 73rd and 74th sessions of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés and Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, visited the CDPF. They spoke highly of the progress made in China's cause of aiding people with disabilities. 

The CPPCC and its members have paid constant attention to the cause of aiding people with disabilities, developed a proposal to set up the subsistence allowance system for poor people with disabilities, provided accommodation for and taken care of people with severe disabilities, improved rehabilitation services and addressed other issues related to people with disabilities. With joint efforts from related national bodies and society, more than 90 laws and regulations have been rolled out to secure the rights and interests of people with disabilities, protecting their legal rights and interests across the board. 

Zhang said life has complete and beautiful aspects and broken and unhappy elements. Numerous people with disabilities dare to overcome unhappiness and difficulties, and try to become helpful to society, added Zhang. We people working for the cause of people with disabilities should hold up torches to light up the way ahead for them, Zhang added, and we should care about them like our own families.

Moreover, Zhang suggested that the country should pay more attention to life science research, the building of high-level labs for brain science and neuroscience, inputting resources into the technological rehabilitation industry and artificial intelligence, and promoting the application of new products. As such, a more friendly and barrier-free environment for people with disabilities could be created and help them integrate into society.

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