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