UN official: Paralympics brings needed attention to Chinese people with disabilities

From Xinhua in China Sept. 15:

BEIJING -- "The Beijing Paralympics has boosted China's cause of disabled people," Khalid Malik, the United Nations (UN) resident coordinator in China, said on Sept. 15.

"It leaves a legacy and promotes social awareness for the disabled," the Pakistani said.

"The Beijing Paralympics demonstrates the abilities of the disabled people, and evokes social respects for them. There is no magical program to solve the problems of people with disabilities in a one time, one program, but China has done a lot consecutively during the past decades."

Besides evoking more social awareness for the cause of the disabled, China has cooperated with international organizations to ensure the disabled in the country enjoy equal rights in terms of education and employment.

It has worked with the International Labor Organization global body to develop equal opportunity legislation for those with disability in the workplace, which has supported training for employment opportunities.

China is not only among the first signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities but it ratified this convention in June.

"The UN highly appreciates the tremendous leadership efforts of China in this regard," said Malik.

"The entering into force of the convention has proved again China's intensive concentration in advancing human rights for all and development for all."

The newly-amended Law on Protection of the Disabled of China, which took effect on July 1, added details about financial support, medical care and rehabilitation services for the disabled, along with preferential policies on jobs and taxation.

Chen Ya'an, a China Disabled Persons' Federation official, pointed out 75 percent of the country's disabled were in rural areas. He said the federation would provide them with financial and technological support to help establish their own businesses, such as family workshops, farming and animal production.