Shared prosperity and development: the development of the cause of persons with disabilities in China

Persons with disabilities are equal members of our human family. It is an essential requirement of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to respect and safeguard their human rights and human dignity and offer them with equal opportunities to fully participate in social activities.

Policy support and self-improvement propels poverty alleviation

In building a moderately prosperous society in all respect, not a single person with disabilities should be left behind. In recent years, China has integrated the cause of people with disabilities into the overall plan of national economic and social development and the national action plan for human rights, striven to perfect institutional mechanisms for the protection of their rights and interests and continuously promoted their sense of enjoyment, well-being and safety.

Due to the influence of physical obstacles, weak labor ability and low education level, poor people with disabilities, especially those in rural areas, are the special group with the deepest degree of poverty, the biggest difficulties and the highest rate of returning to poverty.

Luo Shilin, who lost his leg in a mine collapse in 2006, went back home to the mountainous Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region with a prosthesis. He then began to move along the road to a good livelihood, first limping then smoothly walking. From undertaking to build a drinking water project to building a shed to raise cattle, with the support of the poverty alleviation policies Luo withdrew from the poverty stricken population.

On the road to poverty alleviation, successful stories of struggling people with disabilities cannot be separated from a series of supporting policies.

In 2018, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued guidance on a three-year action plan for poverty alleviation in which poverty alleviation of persons with disabilities was a specific focus.

A total of 26 organizations, including the State Council Leading Group Office and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, formulated an action plan for poverty alleviation of persons with disabilities and corresponding plans in the fields of e-commerce and industrial support.

From 2011 to 2018, the central government spent 5.3 billion yuan ($770 million) on rehabilitation and poverty reduction loans.

Since the implementation of the targeted poverty alleviation plan, the government has registered more than 6 million persons with disabilities as poverty-stricken households in need of help.

Data from the White Paper "Equality, Participation and Sharing: 70 Years of Protecting the Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities in the PRC " show that as of 2018 the number of registered poverty-stricken people with disabilities had decreased to 1.7 million.

Shared opportunities and dreams in valuable lives

We need to fully understand the rights, values and dignity of persons with disabilities. They have the same right as others to enjoy everything in their lives, said Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons Federation, at a recent news conference.

In 1960, 5-year-old Zhang dreamed of going to school, but when her mother looked for schools behind her back, more than one principal was ready to reject a child with a disability.

Nowadays, the education system for the disabled has been considerably improved. Compulsory education for children and adolescents with disabilities is greatly popularized and non-compulsory education for the persons with disabilities is steadily developing. Integrated education is being enhanced, and public expenditures on special education are continuously increasing.

"At present, nearly 10,000 students with disabilities are enrolling in higher education every year. The long-held dream finally becomes a reality, "said Zhang.

Although safeguarding the equal education right of persons with disabilities may epitomize the development of the cause, nowadays more and more people with disabilities are finding support at all stages of life.

As of 2018, 9.48 million certified persons with disabilities were employed in urban and rural areas.

There are 283 arts groups for persons with disability in China. China has attended nine Paralympic?Games, in which 1,337 athletes fought hard and won 433 gold medals, breaking 261 world records.

In the new era, persons with disabilities share opportunities and dreams and live more dignified lives.

Equal treatment and warm-hearted assistance builds a supportive environment

In Qingdao, East China’s Shandong province, Song Kuihua, a volunteer helping persons with disabilities, set up an assistance team. The team members select urban residents’ used clothes according to the recipients' gender, age, height, and weight, pack them up, and send them to rural poor disability families.

In Song’s eye, old clothes count for little for some of us, but provide timely help to families with disabilities.

Today, with the boom in various disability assistance campaigns across the country, a supportive atmosphere has emerged.

According to the white paper, barrier-free construction and renovation has been conducted in 75 percent of entrances and exits, 40 percent of the service counters and 30 percent of the toilets in the country's villages and communities.

At the same time, China is accelerating the growth of information accessibility. The country has issued several national and industry standards which provide effective standardized support for persons with disabilities in using information and communication equipment, accessing internet information and feeling comfortable with auxiliary devices.

A moderately prosperous society in all respects means not only abundant materials, but also dignity of life. Today, 85 million people with disabilities are engaged as mainstays of social development. None of them will be left behind.