Beijing becoming a disabled-friendly city

 Updated：2007-09-05

(BEIJING, September 5) – The living conditions of disabled people in Beijng have improved significantly, and one third of them have received rehabilitation services, an official of the Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation has revealed today in the course of a press conference at the Beijing Olympic Media Center.
Among the city’s 999,000 disabled people, over 300,000 have received such services and 100,000 of them have been given medical care, including cataract operations and limb correction, as well as language training, president of the federation Zhao Chunluan said.
On the other hand, she said, 98.9 percent of disabled children have been enrolled in school as the special education program has been integrated into the compulsory education system.
Speaking about disabled people’s employment, Zhao said 85 percent of the disabled having reached the age of employment have found a job, with 21,000 working at welfare enterprises that enjoy special protection from the government. Thanks to 308 massage departments, 1,700 visually impaired people have a chance to work as massaeurs, while the employment rate among the blind has soared to 95 percent.
The city has expanded its facilities for the disabled to 95,000 square meters from 10,000 square meters in 1998 and the newly-inaugurated Beijing Sports and Vocational Center for the Disabled has set an example of assistance to the disabled, she said.
Cao Yuejin, commissioner of the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning told the press that Beijing has made a detailed three-year plan from 2005 to 2007 to build accessible facilities especially in transport hubs, railway stations, subway lines, hotels, hospitals, shopping centers and supermarkets.
The Beijig subway line V, which will become operational this month, will provide handrails and lifts in all its 23 stations for the blind, he said.
Beijjng has put 275 accessible buses into operation and another 50 large buses are coming soon, he added.

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