On March 20, 2022, Chinese Consul General in Penang Mr. Lu Shiwei published a signed article titled “2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games Reflect Achievements in China’s Human Rights” in Malaysian media Kwong Wah Yit Poh. The full text is as follows:
The 2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games came to a successful conclusion. The Chinese sports delegation secured 61 medals, including 18 golds, ranked first in both gold count and overall medal count, achieving the best results in the history of China’s participation in the Winter Paralympic Games. The gratifying achievements of Chinese Paralympic athletes reflect the boom in parasports in China, and display the notable achievements made by China in respecting and protecting the rights and interests of people with disabilities.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), parasports have steadily developed and made continuous progress. China’s Paralympic delegation has ranked first in both gold medals and total medal count at the past five Paralympic Games. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the cause of persons with disabilities in China has developed rapidly. The participation rate in grassroots cultural and sports activities for persons with disabilities in China has spiraled, from 6.8 percent in 2015 to 23.9 percent in 2021. During the 13th Five-year Plan period (2016-2020), China sent disabled athletes delegations to participate in 160 international sporting events, bringing home a total of 1,114 gold medals. Since China’s successful bid for 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, Chinese athletes show growing strength in winter Paralympic sports. From 2015 to 2021, the number of Winter Paralympic sports in China increased from 2 to 6, so that all Winter Paralympic sports are now covered. With the development of parasports in China, more and more people with disabilities enjoy the happiness brought by sports. More and more athletes with disabilities have competed in sporting events both at home and abroad. They are seeking to meet challenges, pursuing self-improvement, and fighting for a wonderful and successful life. At the same time, the development of parasports is a mirror reflecting China’s human rights achievements.
The system of safeguarding rights and interests of people with disabilities are continuously improved. Chinese laws and regulations stipulate that persons with disabilities are entitled to equal participation in cultural and sport activities. In consequence, those with disabilities enjoy stronger protection of rights and are rendered special assistance. By April 2021, more than 80 laws had been passed concerning the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee. More than 70 administrative regulations had been passed concerning the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities by the State Council of China. The Civil Code includes nearly 30 articles directly related to the protection of the rights and interests of people with disabilities. During the 13th Five-year Plan period, China has established 2,600 organizations of legal assistance coordination and set up 2,318 legal aid centers for persons with disabilities.
The social security system for persons with disabilities is steadily improving. In 2016, China established systems for providing living allowances for poor people with disabilities and nursing subsidies for severely disabled persons. As of the end of the 13th Five-year Plan, 1.075 million persons with disabilities had been included in the scope of assistance and support for the destitute, more than 10 million persons with disabilities had been included in the system of minimum living allowances, more than 12 million poor people with disabilities had been provided with living allowances, and more than 14 million severely disabled persons have received nursing subsidies. Over 90 percent of urban and rural residents with disabilities were covered by the basic old-age insurance and 95 percent of urban and rural residents with disabilities were covered by the basic medical insurance. By taking targeted measures in poverty alleviation, 7.1 million registered poor people with disabilities have been lifted out of absolute poverty, and 429,000 registered households with one or more disabled members have been supported to renovate their dilapidated houses so that they can live in safe houses. During the 14th Five-year Plan period, the living allowances for people with disabilities in poverty and the nursing subsidies for severely disabled persons will cover 100 percent of the target population.
The universal access to rehabilitation services for every disabled person is guaranteed. The rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities have been incorporated into China’s national plan of basic public services, and a rehabilitation and assistance system for children with disabilities has been established. In 2020, 10.777 million disabled children and persons with certified disabilities received basic rehabilitation services, and 2.426 million persons with disabilities were offered rehabilitation services with assistive devices. Since the establishment of Rehabilitation and Assistance System for Children with Disabilities in 2018, nearly 676,000 children with disabilities across the country have received rehabilitation services. In 2017, China officially designated August 25 as the Disability Prevention Day to raise public awareness of disability prevention.
The right to employment of persons with disabilities is fully protected. By 2020, China has 2,811 employment service organizations for persons with disabilities, 478 occupational training centers have been set up at the state level, and 8.552 million persons with certified disabilities were hired in urban and rural areas. From 2015 to 2020, China has set up a total of 4,581 poverty alleviation centers for persons with disabilities across the country, helping nearly 409,000 persons with disabilities to seek employment and increase their income. The per capita net income of registered poor families with members with disabilities has increased from 2,776.2 Yuan RMB in 2015 to 8,726.2 Yuan RMB in 2019.
The overall education for persons with disabilities has improved steadily. In China, poor students with disabilities can receive 12-year free education from elementary school to senior high school. By 2020, China has set up a total of 2,244 special education schools and recruited 66,200 full-time teachers of special education, and 880,800 students with disabilities studied on campus, an increase of 512,700 students or 139.3 percent over 2013. The number of students with disabilities at regular schools has seen a steady increase, from 191,000 in 2013 to 435,800 in 2020, an increase of 128.2 percent. Over the past decade, more than 50 percent of students with disabilities have been able to study at regular schools.
Creating an accessible environment for persons of disabilities has seen solid progress. By 2020, a thousand seven hundred and fifty-three cities and counties in China had initiated efforts to improve accessibility and remove barriers. Among comprehensive service facilities across the country, 81.05 percent of entrances and exits, 56.58 percent of service counters, and 38.66 percent of restrooms have been constructed or upgraded for accessibility. From 2016 to 2020, home adaptation was carried out for 650,000 impoverished families with severely disabled members. By 2019, 2,341 comprehensive service facilities, 1,006 rehabilitation facilities, and 887 care facilities had been completed for persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities are equal members of the society, and an important force for the development of human civilization. Around the world, there are 1.2 billion persons with disabilities, representing 15 percent of the global population. Among them, China has a population of over 85 million persons with disabilities. China adheres to a people-centered approach that treats people’s wellbeing as the primary human right, promotes the all-round development of human rights, and effectively protects the rights and interests of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. China will continue to work with the international community to jointly promote the greater development of programs for people with disabilities of the whole world, and build a world that is more inclusive and harmonious, together for a shared future!