NOTIFICATION OF THE STATE COUNCIL
ON RATIFICATION OF THE OUTLINE OF THE WORK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
DURING THE 11TH FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PERIOD
State Council No. 21 (2006)
People’s Governments in all Provinces, Autonomous Regions, Municipalities directly under the Central Government, all Ministries and Agencies under the State Council:
The Outline of the Work for Persons with Disabilities during the 11th Five-year Development Program Period, worked out by the State Council Working Committee on Disability, has been ratified by the State Council and is herewith sending to you for your earnest implementation.
The State Council of
The People’s Republic of China
(seal)
4 June, 2006
OUTLINE OF THE WORK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
DURING THE 11TH FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PERIOD 2006-2010
This outline of work is formulated in light of the 11th Five-year Program for National Socio-Economic Development of the People’s Republic of China, with a view to promoting the work on disability and further improving the status of persons with disabilities.
I. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORK PROGRAMME FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES DURING THE 10TH FIVE-YEAR PLAN (2001-2005) AND THE FUTURE WORK
Remarkable progress has been made in the work on disability set forth in The Work Programme for Disabled Persons during the 10th Five-year Plan Period (2001-2005), thanks to the due attention and commitment of party committees and government departments at all levels, the fulfilment and concerted efforts by the relevant authorities and the strong support from all walks of the society.
1. A more harmonious environment for persons with disabilities to participate in social life. The concept of persons with disabilities matching a modern civilized society has been accepted by more and more people. Humanitarianism has been further promoted. Various activities have been widely carried out to support and assist persons with disabilities. More people have become volunteers in the process. A lot of practical difficulties have been addressed to satisfy the basic living needs of persons with disabilities and ensure their equal participation in society. Urban infrastructure, public facilities and access to information have been generally improved, thus making it easier for persons with disabilities to step out of their home and enjoy the benefits of the society’s material and cultural progress as well as public services. The undertaking for persons with disabilities has received more media attention, which contributed to a more favourable opinion environment. The society at large is more conscious of the need to protect the rights and interests of persons with disabilities within the legal framework. The legal environment in which the work on disability is carried out has been further advanced.
2. Obvious improvements of the comprehensive service capacity for persons with disabilities. Party committees, governments and public service organisations at the local level have placed higher priority on improving the lives of persons with disabilities, providing more services to ensure “Equality, Participation and Sharing” of persons with disabilities. Nationwide, there are now 1,662 special schools, 2,700 special classes in ordinary schools, 3,250 vocational training organizations, 3,048 employment service organizations, over 19,000 rehabilitation organizations and facilities and 2,574 legal service agencies for disabled persons. Libraries or reading rooms for people with visual impairment have achieved new development. The all-in-one service facilities for disabled persons have been strengthened at various levels, which enhanced the quality of services provided to persons with disabilities. Organisations of persons with disabilities have been established at or above the county level. The construction of grassroots disabled persons’ organizations at the township (streets) level and below has scored marked progress. The competitiveness of workers in the disability field has experienced significant improvement.
3. Further improvements in the status of persons with disabilities. A total of 6.42 million persons with disabilities have been rehabilitated to different degrees. The enrolment rate of children with disabilities into the compulsory education has further increased, with the average enrolment rate of children with visual impairment, hearing impairment and intellectual disability rising to 80%. Nearly 600,000 persons with disabilities have received vocational education. The employment rate of persons with disabilities has been on a steady increase. 7 million rural disabled persons have shaken off poverty. 5.16 million disabled persons in the urban and rural areas who previously lived in extreme poverty have been secured with basic living. Mass cultural and sport activities have been widely organized for the benefit of persons with disabilities and have made outstanding achievements. The Chinese delegation to the 12th Paralympics Games has made excellent performance, ranking first in both the gold medal list and the medal list. The Special Olympics movement has also achieved impressive development.
4. Universal enhancement of the competitiveness of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are noted for their love of life and the motherland as well as devotion to the society. They make unremitting efforts to strive against difficulties, improve their ethical standards and literacy in science and culture and play an active role in the society, contributing to reform, opening and socialist modernisation drive. An increasing number of persons with disabilities have stepped out of poverty through participating in productive activities, and some of them have even made a fortune from their diligent work. Persons with disabilities have emerged in the model groups of all walks of life. A group of outstanding persons with disabilities have been elected as deputies of the people’s congress or appointed as political advisors to the government at various levels, making their contributions to China’s socio-economic development through consultation and participation in the political life.
5. Growing international influence. The Chinese government and organisations of persons with disabilities have been an active participant in and supporter of the international affairs related to persons with disabilities. In line with the country’s foreign policy objectives, we have vigorously promoted the formulation of The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, launched and supported the 2nd Asian-Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons. There have been growing exchanges on matters concerning disabled persons with foreign countries, leading to an ever broader scope of international cooperation. The achievements of China in the work on disability have been widely endorsed by the international society, contributing to its good reputation and continued progress in the area of human rights.
The overall fulfilment of The Work Programme for Disabled Persons during the 10th Five-year Plan Period (2001-2005) has effectively advanced the basic living of persons with disabilities and paved the way for them to have a moderately prosperous life together with their fellow countrymen. However, due to external constraints and their own disability, there is still a sizable gap between the general situation of disabled persons and the average level of the society. A good number of persons with disabilities are still living in poverty, their basic living needs not being satisfied on a stable basis. They are confronted with many difficulties in the access to rehabilitation, education and employment. A long-term mechanism for their greater participation in society is not yet in place. It remains a daunting task to ensure a life of moderate prosperity for them. Indeed, it is arduous and urgent to carry forward the work on disability in coordination with the socio-economic development, improve the circumstances of disabled persons so that they can lead a well-off life. The localities and all the concerned departments should exert greater efforts with strong sense of responsibility and obligation to speed up the development of the work on disability in an all-around way.
II. KEY TARGETS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE WORK PROGRAM DURING THE 11TH FIVE-YEAR PLAN PERIOD (2006-2010)
In order to develop the work on disability during the period of the 11th Five-year Plan, it is important to further narrow the gap between the living standards of persons with disabilities and the average level of the society, and improve both the physical and social conditions for their equal participation in society by adhering to the Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents” and the scientific, people-oriented outlook on development featured by comprehensive, balanced and sustainable growth and in line with the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.
1. Key targets
— The basic living of the majority of persons with disabilities shall preliminarily reach the level of moderate prosperity.
— The drive of “Rehabilitation Services for All” should be promoted in an all around way, 8.3 million persons with disabilities rehabilitated to varying degrees through implementation of priority projects.
— Assistance should be provided to relieve rural poor disabled persons from poverty and renovation made to the crumbling houses of 320,000 rural households with disabled persons.
— Persons with disabilities should be further incorporated into the social security system and guaranteed with basic living.
— Compulsory education should be made universally available for children with disabilities, pre-school education readily provided and senior high school, higher and vocational education developed to realistically protect the right to education of disabled persons.
— Persons with disabilities who hope to be employed should be provided with vocational guidance and training with a view to raising their employment scale and level.
— The quality of the cultural life for persons with disabilities should be improved and sports activities popularized among disabled persons.
— Building of legal framework and barrier-free environment should be further strengthened for a continuous improvement in the protection of rights and interests of disabled persons.
— The system of disabled persons’ organizations should be further improved, its capacity enhanced to serve disabled persons.
2. Guiding principles
— Upholding the people-oriented, scientific outlook on development featured by comprehensive, balanced and sustainable growth. Work on disability should be integrated into the overall strategy of national economic and social development. Plans should be made, implementation coordinated, specific needs taken into account, development accelerated and progress achieved on multiple fronts.
— Adhering to the working mode of government playing a leading role. Governments at all levels should make more efforts in leading the work on disability, incorporating it into public service system and bringing the coordination role of working committees on disability into fully play. All concerned government departments should take disability-related work into their responsibilities, play their due role, enhance collaboration and develop a long-term-effective mechanism for conducting the work on disability under the new circumstances. Government at all levels should allocate in their budget fund needed by the work on disability and increase inputs to accelerate the development of the work for persons with disabilities.
— Following a socialised working method, which energetically promote humanitarianism, fully tap social resources, extensively mobilise the general public to care about, support and take part in the work on disability.
— Bringing tangible benefits to persons with disabilities, with emphasis on lifting comprehensive service capacity and raising their living standards in accordance with the working principle of “continuous promotion in a pragmatic and practical manner”.
— Combining national planning with region-specific policy guidance. In line with national plans and requirements, the eastern regions shall make the most of their own advantages, work innovatively and take the lead in ensuring a life of moderate prosperity for persons with disabilities. The central and north-eastern regions shall strive for faster development by grasping the opportunities generated by the proposed rise of central China and revival of the north-eastern industrial base. The western region shall take advantage of the western development programme and make greater efforts to achieve a leapfrog development of the work on disability.
— Improving relevant policies, laws and regulations to protect the rights and interests of persons with disabilities and promote the work on disability in a legal framework.
— Giving full play to the role of persons with disabilities and their organisations. A contingent of workers who scrupulously abide by the professional ethics of “Humanitarianism, Honesty, Service and Dedication” should be formed in the disability field through increasing their competitiveness. Persons with disabilities should be encouraged to display the spirit of “Self-respect, Self-confidence, Self-improvement and Self-reliance” and participate actively in social life.
III. KEY TASKS AND MEASURES DURING THE 11TH FIVE-YEAR PLAN PERIOD (2006-2010)
1. Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation serves as the basis to help persons with disabilities to regain their functions, become more independent and adaptable to society, and equally participate in the society.
Tasks and indicators
— The building of the socialized rehabilitation service system should be strengthened as well as cultivation of rehabilitation personnel to enhance rehabilitation service capacity. Rehabilitation services shall be made available to generally all persons with disabilities in the urban areas or rural areas of the economically developed regions and to over 70% of those in the rural areas of less developed regions.
— A batch of key rehabilitation projects should be implemented. 3 million cases of cataract sight-restoring surgeries should be performed. 100,000 persons with low-vision should be fitted with vision-aids. Oriented mobility training should be made available to 300,000 blind persons. 10,000 cases of orthopaedic surgeries should be conducted for persons with physical disabilities. Artificial limbs and orthotic devices should be provided to 80,000 persons with physical disabilities. 80,000 hearing impaired children should receive hearing and speech training. Systematic training should be provided to 100,000 children with intellectual disability and 120,000 persons with physical disabilities respectively. Comprehensive treatment should be offered to 4,8 million persons with severe mental illness. 3 million assistive devices of various sorts should be supplied.
— Prevention measures should be implemented to reduce the incidence of disability.
Key measures
i) A socialised rehabilitation service system should be established and improved with specialized rehabilitation facilities as the core, communities as the ground and families as supporting units. Capacity-building should be actively carried out for specialized rehabilitation facilities as well as rehabilitation professionals. Resources shall be integrated to make the best use of the facilities and staff of medical and health institutions, community-based service centres, schools, kindergartens, welfare enterprises and institutions, and activity facilities of disabled persons. Community-based rehabilitation services should be developed with earnest efforts, a team of rehabilitation staff trained, practical facilities built and included in community construction and grassroots health work. Rehabilitation should be given more emphasis in the work of social welfare organisations, caring homes of disabled persons and special education institutions.
ii) Sight-restoring surgeries should be performed for poor cataract patients at appointed medical institutions or by medical teams dispatched. “Cataract-free Zones” should be promoted. The rehabilitation service network for persons with low vision should be perfected through developing, manufacturing and supplying vision-aids, popularizing rehabilitation technology and providing treatment to low-vision patients in poverty. Training of oriented mobility and other living skill should be organized for the benefit of blind persons.
iii) The rehabilitation network for deaf children should be bettered. Efforts should be made to strengthen China Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Deaf Children and provincial centres, consolidate those centres at the grassroots level and conduct well training courses for deaf children’s parents. Guidance should be given to community and family-based rehabilitation training and financial assistance provided to deaf children from poor families for their rehabilitation. Evaluation of professional ranks should be conducted among hearing and speech trainers. Cochlear implantation should be introduced step by step and services of hearing and speech training expanded.
iv) The working mechanism for the prevention and treatment of mental illness should be improved. The model of “Socialised, Comprehensive and Least Restrictive Service” of prevention and treatment should be promoted with great efforts. Treatment and rehabilitation services should be provided for 4.8 million patients with severe mental illness among a population of 800 million. Medical aid should be provided to poor patients. Rehabilitation and care facilities for psychiatric patients should be established and improved. Community-based rehabilitation should be enhanced and a variety of methods including work, entertainment and daily care employed for better effects.
v) The rehabilitation departments of level 2 or superior comprehensive hospitals should be reinforced and grassroots health institutions are encouraged to provide rehabilitation training and services to persons with physical disabilities. Efforts should be made to improve the functions and conditions of the China Rehabilitation and Research Centre and rehabilitation centres at provincial and municipal (or prefectural) levels. Arrangements should be made to enable persons with physical disabilities to receive rehabilitation training both in the communities and at homes. Persons with disabilities caused by leprosy should be able to receive orthopaedic surgeries and assistive devices, which should be scientifically linked with functional training. Assistance should be provided to poor children with physical disabilities in both orthopaedic surgeries and rehabilitation training.
vi) Communities and families should have their full play. Wide-ranging services should be provided to persons with intellectual disability at kindergartens, special schools, community-based service institutions and work and caring rehabilitation facilities. Families and friends should be mobilised to train intellectually disabled children to have self-care skills, cognitive abilities and verbal communication and such adults with simple working skills and social adaptability. Conditions should be created to build for persons with intellectual disabilities or severe disabilities caring facilities that feature systematic and lifelong services combining education, rehabilitation, entertainment and work. Intellectually disabled children from poor families should be assisted in their rehabilitation. Early intervention should be conducted and special populations be advised to take supplementary iodine to reduce the incidence of intellectual disability.
vii) Functional and affordable assistive devices with good quality should be developed, manufactured and supplied to meet the urgent need of persons with various disabilities. New technology and new products in this field should be applied and popularized. Assistance should be offered to poor disabled persons who need such assistive devices as low-cost and functional artificial lower limbs or orthotic devices. The nationwide supply networks of assistive devices should be consolidated and improved. National and regional resource centres of assistive devices should be set up to enhance information service, popularize assessment and installation technology. Quality control of assistive devices should be tightened up.
viii) Medias such as radio, television, newspaper and internet should be fully employed to publicize rehabilitation work of persons with disabilities with a view to popularizing rehabilitation knowledge and raising the awareness of disabled persons towards self-rehabilitation. Activities such as the National Day of Caring Ears, the National Day of Caring Eyes, the National Day of Mental Health, Iodine Deficiency Disease Prevention Day and Leprosy Prevention Day should be widely conducted. Publicity and education campaigns should be organized and intervention measures taken to reduce incidence of disabilities mainly caused by factors such as inheritance, diseases, poisoning, accidents and harmful environment. Early intervention and early rehabilitation should be promoted to effectively reduce and control the severity of disabilities.
2. Education
Raising the level of education for persons with disabilities is essential for disabled persons to fully develop their potential.
Tasks and indicators
— Compulsory education should be universally popularized among children and teenagers with disabilities. The enrolment rate of disabled children and teenagers who are able to receive education at ordinary schools should reach the same level as that of those without disabilities. The enrolment rate of the visually, hearing and speech impaired children and those with intellectual disabilities should meet the requirement of the government authorities. Pre-school education should be promoted for children with disabilities.
— Persons with disabilities who meet certain criteria should have universal access to vocational education or training.
— Students with disabilities who meet the state criteria for acceptance should be guaranteed with the opportunity to receive education above higher secondary level.
— The development of higher secondary special education should be sped up and higher special education vigorously developed.
Key measures
i) The education of children and teenagers with disabilities should be further integrated into national and regional compulsory education programmes, universally planed, well coordinated and simultaneously implemented.
ii) The compulsory education system for children and teenagers with disabilities should be further improved with inclusive and special classes at ordinary schools as the principal format and special schools as the mainstay. Inclusive classes and special classes at ordinary primary and secondary schools should be promoted in an all-around way. At lease one nine-year compulsory special school should be set up in counties and cities with a population of over 300,000 and a sizeable population of school-age children and teenagers with disabilities.
iii) The appraisal criteria of local compulsory education should include the enrolment rate of children and teenagers with disabilities, who should be counted as targets of compulsory education.
iv) The development of higher secondary special education should be well planned and coordinated. Special senior high schools or special classes at ordinary high schools should be made available in municipal- or prefectural-level cities. Higher education for persons with disabilities should be encouraged and promoted. Where conditions permit, ordinary higher learning institutes should be supported to set up majors in special education or special education school. The existing special education institutes, like Special Education School of Changchun University, the Technology College for the Deaf of Tianjin University of Technology, Shandong Binzhou Medical College, Special Education School of Beijing Union University, should be continuously developed through increasing enrolment, offering more majors and improving level and quality of education. The enrolment policy and examination methods of ordinary colleges and universities regarding students with disabilities should be completed and perfected. The special education system for persons with disabilities should be further enhanced, composed of pre-school education, compulsory education, senior middle education and higher education which dovetail with each other.
v) Special education should be further incorporated into the national education system. The scheme of grant-in-aid should be established and perfected and disabled children and teenagers receiving compulsory education be covered by preferential policies of the government. Poor students with disabilities receiving education higher than secondary education should be given priority to state aid.
vi) The mainstream vocational education facilities in society should be mainly relied upon while those targeting persons with disabilities and employing special teaching methods given full play to widely develop the market-oriented vocational education and training of persons with disabilities. In urban areas the vocational education or training should be combined with employment while in rural areas with production and poverty alleviation to offer multi-tiered vocational training and mid- and short-term training of practical technology.
vii) Cultivation of teaching contingent in special education should be reinforced. Conditions should be created to run well teacher schools of special education as well as majors or courses on special education in mainstream ordinary universities and colleges with a view to increase the number and enhance the competitiveness of special education teachers. National training bases for teachers of vocational education should be set up in qualified universities. Efforts should be made to ensure continuous development of Beijing Technology College of Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation. Research, improvement and popularization of Braille and sign language should be promoted, research on professional sign language and Braille signs deepened particularly, training of Braille and sign language conducted and compiling, editing and publishing of textbooks regularized so as to create conditions for blind and deaf people to receive compulsory education, senior middle education and higher education.
viii) Illiteracy among young and middle-aged persons with disabilities should be eliminated through various ways. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to grasp knowledge through self-learning.
3. Employment and social security
Employment is considered as a main approach for persons with disabilities to better their living conditions, achieve self-improvement and self-reliance, and develop their potential. Ensuring the subsistence of poor persons with disabilities constitutes an important part in the establishment and perfection of the social security system in China.
Tasks and indicators
— Laws, regulations and policies on the employment of persons with disabilities should be improved.
— Additional 750,000 persons with disabilities in the urban areas should be provided with jobs and 18 million disabled persons in the rural areas have stable employment.
— The capacity of employment service facilities should be markedly raised to basically satisfy the need of persons with disabilities for employment service.
— Employment guidance and vocational training should be made universally available to all registered unemployed persons with disabilities or jobseekers with disabilities.
— 50,000 visually impaired persons should be cultivated and trained to be massagers, among whom 10,000 qualified as massage therapists and 40,000 as keep-fit massagers, thus bringing the total number of blind massagers to 140,000.
— Social security policies concerning persons with disabilities should be perfected. Disabled employees in the urban areas should be encouraged to join social insurance according to regulations while the coverage of self-employed disabled persons by social insurance expanded. Persons with disabilities should be integrated into social security system and entitled with social relief in accordance with category-specific principle. The level of social security for eligible persons with disabilities should be raised.
Key measures
i) The quota scheme should be promoted and implemented for employment of persons with disabilities in an all-around way. The collection of the Fund for the Promotion of the Employment of Persons with Disabilities should be further regulated. The fund should be strictly managed and used solely for the designated purposes.
ii) Social recourses should be mobilized to set up welfare enterprises according to law to provide collective employment for persons with disabilities. Preferential policies and measures should be perfected to support welfare enterprises for a steady and healthy development. Where conditions permit, welfare work-treatment facilities and shelter workshop should be set up to create conditions for employment of people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
iii) Employment service facilities affiliated to federations of persons with disabilities at various levels should be reinforced. Under the guidance of labour and social security authorities, these facilities should comprehensively administrate employment related services for persons with disabilities and provide career consultation and vocational training to persons with disabilities either they are self-employed, collectively employed or employed under the quota system. Their service should be expanded, quality and efficiency enhanced. The information network on employment of persons with disabilities should be built with vigorous efforts and unemployment registration be implemented at large so as to provide all-dimensional services to facilitate employment of persons with disabilities.
iv) Vocational training and training of practical technology for rural disabled persons should be strengthened in response to market demand and focused on socialised training so as to improve the competitiveness of persons with disabilities in the market. An incentive mechanism should be established and perfected to inspire disabled persons good at vocational skills. The 3rd National Competition of Vocational Skills should be held in 2007 and the best player will be selected to attend the 7th International Abilympics.
v) The advantages of massage majors in secondary specialised schools and medical universities and colleges should be brought into full play to cultivate massage therapists. Vocational training facilities should be utilized to train disabled persons to be keep-fit massagers. The competitiveness of blind massage therapists in the post should be enhanced through continued training. Efforts should be made to compile and revise massage textbooks for blind persons, establish a national training, teaching and practising base for blind massagers, and strengthen academic exchanges and international communications in this field. Disabled persons’ federations at various levels should strengthened trade administration and regulate the market of massage by blind persons according to national regulations.
vi) Earnest efforts should be made to include persons with disabilities in the social security system. Supervision and inspection should be tightened to ensure that urban employees with disabilities be covered by basic pension, medical insurance and insurance on unemployment, maternity and injuries incurred during work, etc. The subsidy program for the basic pension of self-employed poor disabled persons in the urban areas should be perfected and seriously implemented. Self-employed disabled persons should be encouraged and organized to take part in social insurance. Assistance should be given to poor persons with disabilities in the rural areas in joining the new type of rural cooperative medical services and medical rescue be provided according to stipulations concerned. Eligible households with persons with disabilities should receive minimum living allowance in a timely manner as provided for by The Minimum Living Guarantee System for Urban Residents. Poor disabled persons in the rural areas should be assisted to take part in rural social pension insurance. For persons with severe disabilities who are not suitable for gainful labour and have neither income nor lawful supporters (or the lawful supporters have no supporting ability), support and relief should be provided according to stipulations concerned. Where conditions allow, localities should raise the amount of subsistence allowance by category-specific aid for poor households having persons with severe disabilities or those having more than one person with disabilities.
4. Poverty Alleviation
Helping persons with disabilities in rural areas get rid of poverty and having adequate food and clothing through effective poverty alleviation measures is an important task in the overall efforts of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.
Tasks and indicators
— 10 million poor persons with disabilities in the rural areas should be assisted to have adequate food and clothing. Income of those who have already got adequate food and clothing should be increased steadily.
— Training of applied tech and skills should be provided to 1 million persons with disabilities suitable for gainful labour in the central and western rural areas.
— The crumbling houses of 320,000 poor rural households with disabled persons should be renovated, particularly, assistance given to 250,000 poor rural households with disabled persons in the central and western areas in the efforts.
Key measures
i) Local governments and departments should continue to integrate poverty alleviation for persons with disabilities in rural areas into government poverty-reduction programmes for united arrangement and simultaneous implementation. Effective measures should be taken in response to the special needs of persons with disabilities and assistance efforts be strengthened.
ii) At key counties included in the national plan for poverty alleviation through development, persons with disabilities should be integrated into the overall poverty reduction efforts while practical projects designed to help poor disabled persons suitable for gainful labour to be engaged in productive labour and ensure their families have real benefits. In the economically developed regions, poverty alleviation of persons with disabilities should be included in the local socio-economic development plan with emphasis on steadily raising income of low-income disabled persons and their families who live in relative poverty. In the other regions, measures should be taken to ensure that poverty-alleviation loans subsidised by central government reach those eligible ones and be used to help persons with disabilities to get rid of poverty.
iii) Poor persons with disabilities in the central and western rural areas should be assisted to receive training of applicable tech and skills so that they can shake off poverty and even make a fortune with the skills.
iv) Management of rehabilitation and poverty-alleviation loans should be strengthened, regulated and evaluated by their quantified performance to guarantee benefits of persons with disabilities to the largest extent. Reform should be carried out on a trial basis on how to subsidise the interest of poverty alleviation loans for poor rural households with disabled persons. In areas where conditions allow, subsidies for rehabilitation and poverty alleviation loans from the central government may be directly delivered to the loan applicants.
v) Houses renovation projects for poor persons with disabilities in the rural areas should be kept up and housing difficulties of those living in the urban areas be addressed with great efforts. Subsidy should be provided for house renovation of poor disabled persons in the central and western rural areas. Surveys should be conducted in the eastern areas on housing conditions of local poor persons with disabilities and budget be allocated accordingly to improve their conditions.
5. Culture and Sports
Enriching and activating the cultural and sports life of persons with disabilities to demonstrate their talents is an important means to encourage persons with disabilities to constantly strive against adversity and improve themselves.
Tasks and indicators
— Mainstream public cultural facilities should be advocated and mobilized to provide services to persons with disabilities and carry out popular and in-depth mass cultural activities.
— Special arts for persons with disabilities should be developed and talented individuals cultivated.
— In line with The Guideline for Nationwide Fitness Plan, persons with disabilities should be organized to take part in sports and keep-fit activities to improve their physique.
— The Plan to Win Honours at the Paralympic Games should be implemented and the competitiveness of athletes with disabilities be raised through hosting or attending major national or international sports events of persons with disabilities.
Key measures
i) Public cultural and sports facilities and institutions shall be encouraged to receive persons with disabilities and to provide special services at discounted rate. Public libraries and reading rooms in townships (streets), communities and villages should provide services of book lending to disabled readers. Where conditions allow, books in Braille and talking books should be made available for readers with visual impairment.
ii) Organisations of persons with disabilities in communities and townships, special schools and welfare enterprises should carry out various inclusive and healthy activities of culture, arts, keep-fit and recreation in accordance with features of people with different categories of disabilities.
iii) Federations of persons with disabilities at various levels should set aside within their comprehensive service facilities venues for sports and cultural activities, which are open to disabled persons and deliver quality services. Cultural and sports activities should be held by disabled persons’ federations at or above the county level should organise sports and recreational activities on a regular basis to activate the sports and recreational life of persons with disabilities at the grassroots level.
iv) Special art troupes should be well operated to cultivate talented individuals and display the gifts of persons with disabilities. The 7th National Theatrical Festival should be hosted and joint performances by persons with visual, hearing and intellectual disabilities be organised.
v) The Paralympic activities, the Special Olympics activities and the Deaflympic activities should be promoted to encourage persons with different categories of disabilities to participate in unified sports activities that are good for their rehabilitation and health. Efforts should be made to research and develop sports equipments specially designed for persons with disabilities, conduct research into sports science and ensure the quality of P.E. lessons and sports activities in special schools. Where conditions allow, sports universities and colleges, teacher schools and spare time sports schools should recruit and train a number of talented disabled athletes. Nationwide fitness programmes should take into account the needs for sports activities of persons with disabilities and facilities provided as necessary.
vi) Administrative organs for sports activities of persons with disabilities should be set up and improved. All public sports facilities should be open to persons with disabilities free of charge. At least one comprehensive sports facility that meets the needs for sports of persons with disabilities should be available at each city (prefecture).When conditions allow, a comprehensive sports facility should be set aside exclusively for the use of persons with disabilities. Efforts should be made to cultivate a relatively stable team of referees and classifiers, operate well selection, training and administration of national teams of disabled athletes. Issues such as classification, education, employment, insurance and awarding of disabled athletes should be handled to dispel their worries and motivate them to win honours for the motherland.
vii) Great efforts should be exerted to host The 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2007 and The 13th Paralympic Games in 2008 and to ensure outstanding performances be achieved by our sports delegations at the two games. The 4th National Special Olympics Games in 2006, the 5th one in 2010 and The 7th National Games for Disabled Persons in 2007 should be well organised. The society shall be extensively mobilized to further increase social support and care for sports of persons with disabilities.
6. Social Environment
Great efforts should be made for promoting humanitarianism and advocating the concept of disability in a modern and civilized society. The practice of understanding, respecting, caring for and assisting persons with disabilities should be promoted and fostered in a civilized and progressive society, thus creating an enabling social environment for disabled persons to equally participate in social life, which is an important precondition for development of the undertaking for disabled persons.
Tasks and indicators
— Efforts should be made to advocate humanitarianism and enhance publicity on the undertaking for disabled persons.
— The “Project of Captions” should be vigorously promoted among public medias and news programmes with sign language and specific programmes related to disability be strengthened.
— The exemplary role of outstanding persons with disabilities, workers for disabled persons and supporters of disabled persons should be made known to the public in order to inspire self-improvement of disabled persons as well as conscience of workers for disabled persons and cultivate awareness in the society to assist persons with disabilities.
Key measures
i) Effective measures should be taken by media as well as publication and education authorities to support and encourage mass media to report and reflect the situation of persons with disabilities as well as the progress of the work on disability through various means. Humanitarianism, self-improvement and assisting people with disabilities shall be included in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools to promote a social environment which cares for the disabled and assists the disadvantaged.
ii) TV stations at or above the municipal (prefectural) level shall launch programmes with sign language. Radio stations at or above the county level shall produce specific programmes on disability. More films and TV plays shall be shown with captions.
iii) The public media should be mobilised to report progress made in the work on disability, the exemplary deeds of outstanding persons with disabilities and workers for them as well as the achievements of the general in assisting persons with disabilities.
iv) Activities of the National Day of Assisting Persons with Disabilities should be carried forward. The activities of Volunteers Assisting Disabled Persons, Young Pioneers for Assisting Disabled Persons, Assisting Disabled Persons by Education, Assisting Disabled Persons by Tech and Legal Support etc. should be extensively developed. Activities of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities should be well organised.
v) Vigorous efforts should be made to publicize the exemplary deeds of National Model of Self-improvement, National Pioneering Group for Assisting Disabled Persons, Families of Disabled Persons, National Model Individuals for Assisting Disabled Persons and National Model Workers in Federations of Disabled Persons to encourage more organizations and individuals to support and care for persons with disabilities.
vi) The appraisal and reward of outstanding news works concerning the work on disability should be continuously performed.
7. Protection of Rights and Interests
A main theme of the work on disability is to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of persons with disabilities in accordance with law.
Tasks and indicators
— A working mechanism should be worked out to further improve the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities.
— The framework of legislation on disability should be reinforced by promoting revisions of relevant laws and regulations, enhancing law enforcement and education, and establishing legal aid system for persons with disabilities.
— Policies should be formulated to address prominent issues and needs in protecting the rights and interests of persons with disabilities. Investigation and punishment should be intensified on high-profile cases of serious violation of the lawful rights and interests of persons with disabilities.
— Barrier-free environment should be constructed in an all-around way, building accessible facilities in 100 cities nationwide, energetically promoting accessible communication and information, and raising public awareness towards accessibility.
Key measures
i) The legal system on the protection of persons with disabilities should be further perfected. Efforts should be made to revise the Law on the Protections of Disabled Persons, enact and make amendments to laws and regulations on rehabilitation, construction of barrier-free facilities, assistance and preferential treatment as well as issues concerning the immediate interests of persons with disabilities. When appropriate, rules on the implementation of the Law on the Protections of Disabled Persons shall be revised.
ii) Laws and regulations concerning persons with disabilities should be publicized with greater efforts, which should be integrated into the Fifth Five-Year Plan on Nationwide Education of Law. Appropriate programs should be developed to cultivate a conducive social atmosphere that understands, respects, assists and cares for persons with disabilities, raise legal awareness among persons with disabilities as well as the capability of legal services providers to protect the rights and interests of persons with disabilities.
iii) Enforcement of the Law on the Protections of Disabled Persons and other relevant laws and regulations should be strengthened. Inspection and supervision on law enforcement should be organized and coordinated to protect the rights and interests of persons with disabilities in accordance with law.
iv) A legal aid system should be established with judicial relief by courts and legal services and assistance by judicial administrative authorities at various levels as the principal way, and supplemented by legal aid provided by disabled persons’ federations at various levels and the general public.
v) The rights and interests of persons with disabilities should be protected according to relevant stipulations concerned in case of living difficulties or violations of rights as a result of enterprise restructuring, land requisition and urban resettlement projects. Investigation and punishment should be reinforced on major and typical violations of the rights and interests of disabled persons.
vi) A working mechanism should be set up to properly handle petitions from persons with disabilities in accordance with the Regulation on Letter Visit and Complaint. The responsible units should play an exemplary role, listening to the opinions of disabled persons, understanding their needs and solving their problems so as to protect their rights and interests and contribute to the overall stability in the society.
vii) Laws, regulations and design code on accessible construction should be seriously enforced and construction standard of accessible facilities be developed and implemented to accelerate accessible construction. Accessible renovations should be made on the existing urban roads, buildings and public service facilities. The built facilities and equipment for accessibility should be better maintained and managed. Advocacy of barrier-free environment should be strengthened and nationwide campaign to build accessible facilities in the cities be carried out.
viii) Accessibility of information and communication should be boosted. Laws and regulations should be developed in this regard while assistive or substitute technology employed, such as Braille, sign language, captions and special communication equipment, so that persons with disabilities can receive and spread information and participate in social life.
8. Informationisation
Informationisation of the work on disability is a general requirement of the country’s informationisation process of government affairs as well as a major step to realize modern management and sustainable development of the work on disability.
Tasks and indicators
— The administration networks for informationisation of the work on disability should be established and perfected at the grassroots level.
— The information networks of disabled persons’ federations should be improved at various levels so as to realize the linkage and sharing of information resources between China Disabled Persons’ Federation and its provincial federations.
— Information resources of the work on disability should be consolidated through establishment and improvement of a national data and information management system and enhancement of websites construction and information service.
— The indicator system of statistics on the work on disability should be perfected to reinforce grass-roots statistical management.
— The application of accessible information technology should be popularized.
Key measures
i) The working mechanism for informationisation of disabled persons’ federations should be set up and improved at the grassroots level with specialised agencies of provincial federations as the backbone and agencies in federations at or below municipal (prefectural) level as the basis.
ii) On the basis of networks construction accomplished during the 10th Five-Year Plan Period, a linkage of LANs should be built between China Disabled Persons’ Federation and its provisional federations with a view to gradually establishing a national business application platform to realize the transmission of business data and information on government affairs through internet.
iii) An administration system of business database should be developed by disabled persons’ federations at various levels in accordance with the demand of business development. A national system should be gradually established and perfected through standard unification and resources consolidation for better management of the work on disability.
iv) The information networks of disabled persons’ federations should be further promoted for public use by enriching its contents, enhancing social publicity and boosting transparency of governance so as to provide disabled persons with convenient and efficient information services through internet.
v) Guidance, criterion standardization and policy consultation on informationisation services should be well provided. Information services on rehabilitation, education and employment for disabled persons should be coordinated and promoted. Policies shall be formulated to encourage social organisations to take part in the process.
vi) The indicator system of statistics on the work for disabled persons should be perfected by strengthening regulations and management, establishing statistical accounts at the grassroots level and promoting e-data to provide more scientific and precise statistical data.
vii) Technical standards for information accessibility should be developed with efforts. Research, popularization and evaluation of projects and products for information accessibility should be conducted.
9. Organisation Building
Strong organisations and a contingent of qualified workers for disabled persons provide an important institutional guarantee for the success of the work on disability.
Tasks and indicators
— Organisations of persons with disabilities should be bettered to fully perform their functions.
— The competitiveness and service capability of workers for disabled persons should be raised.
— Special associations of persons with various categories of disabilities should be promoted to develop close ties with persons with disabilities.
— The public should be mobilized to support the work on disability and volunteer to assist persons with disabilities.
— The all-in-one service facilities should be promoted to create conditions for services delivery to persons with disabilities.
Key measures
i) For disabled persons’ federations at levels of county, township and community, the structure should be perfected, mechanism amplified, capacity strengthened and efficiency raised in the light of Decisions on Strengthening the Development of Federations of Persons with Disabilities at Grass-roots Level and Opinions on Further Enhancing the Development of Federations of Persons with Disabilities at Grass-roots Level, both issued by the State Council Working Committee on Disability. Organizations of persons with disabilities shall be set up in community residents’ committees, villagers’ committees, government institutions and enterprises for a complete network of organisations of persons with disabilities.
ii) Workers for disabled persons should be nurtured and trained through various ways. The Ethical Code of Workers for Persons with Disabilities (for trial implementation) should be seriously implemented and the National Training Programme for the Staff of Federations of Persons with Disabilities (2006-2010) be formulated with a view to raising the ethical standards and comprehensive service capability of the workers for disabled persons. A contingent of workers for disabled persons should be cultivated, with good conscience, high efficiency and competitiveness and abiding by the career morality of Humanitarianism, Honesty, Service and Dedication.
iii) Special associations of persons with various categories of disabilities should be established and improved in line with the Constitution of China Disabled Persons’ Federation. They shall perform the role of Representation, Service Provision and Rights Protection, reach out to persons with disabilities and enrich the life of those at the grass-roots level.
iv) The public shall be mobilised and volunteers organised to support the work for persons with disabilities and provide volunteering services from the aspect of culture, technology and legal assistance.
v) The selection and awarding activities should be carried out for the 4th National Self-improvement Models, National Model Individuals for Assisting Persons with Disabilities, National Model Groups for Assisting Persons with Disabilities, Families of Disabled Persons and National Model Workers in Federations of Persons with Disabilities.
vi) Certificates of persons with disabilities should be carefully verified, issued and well administered.
vii) All-in-one service facilities for persons with disabilities should be increased and services be improved. For facilities already put into use, their functions shall be improved and brought into full play in terms of rehabilitation training, vocational training, employment consultation and sports and recreational activities. For localities without facilities of this kind, conditions shall be created to construct specialised service facilities of appropriate scale and up to the basic standard. Central government departments shall subsidise at an appropriate level the construction of these facilities in the poverty-stricken areas in the central and western regions.
viii) The 2nd National Sample Survey on Disability should be well conducted. Theoretical research on the work for disabled persons should be strengthened. The Foundation for Disabled Persons should play its role in tapping more social resources to support the work on disability. Efforts should be made to boost international exchanges and cooperation and take an active part in the formulation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons as well as other international affairs and activities concerning disabled persons. Publicity should be enhanced towards the international community to demonstrate China’s achievements in human rights protection.
The work for persons with disabilities is a civilized, progressive and noble cause. It constitutes an important part of human rights protection and the overall efforts to build socialism with Chinese characteristics in China. Accelerating the work on disability is an inherent requirement for constructing a harmonious socialist society as well as an unshirkable obligation of governments at all levels and the whole society. For implementation of this Work Programme, the State Council Working Committee on Disability shall organise relevant departments to formulate supporting guidelines of implementation. Localities shall develop their local work program and supporting guidelines of implementation accordingly and take effective measures to ensure the accomplishment of the objectives set out in the Work Programme.
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