CGTN: China Stands Together with its People with Disabilities for a Shared Future
PR94845
BEIJING, Mar. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN --
The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games opening ceremony organized under the
theme of "Blossoming of Life" kicked off in the Chinese capital on Friday
night, with about 30 percent of performers being people with disabilities.
Chinese President Xi Jinping officially declared opening of the Paralympics at
the iconic Bird's Nest stadium.
In the following nine days, 96 of China's top Paralympic athletes will compete
in the snow and ice sports, which is expected to inspire an estimated 85
million people with disabilities in the country to reach beyond their limits.
"People with disabilities are just as capable of leading rewarding lives as
able-bodied people," said Xi during a visit to Tangshan City of Hebei Province
in July 2016.
With a particular concern for this special group of people, the Chinese
president has, on more than 20 public occasions, provided guidance on the
country's cause for people with disabilities.
'Leaving no individual with disabilities behind'
President Xi said that persons with disabilities are equal members of society
and an important force for the development of human civilization and for
upholding and developing Chinese socialism.
No individual with disabilities should be left behind in China's drive to build
itself into a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the end of 2020,
he pledged during his visit to a paraplegic rehabilitation center in Tangshan,
a city hit by a catastrophic earthquake in 1976.
China has incorporated programs for people with disabilities into its overall
plans for economic and social development and its human rights action plans,
prioritizing them in poverty relief efforts and ensuring their rights to
education and employment, among others.
For example, the enrollment rate of children with disabilities in compulsory
education has reached over 95 percent, said the Ministry of Education in 2021.
The number of students receiving special education doubled from 440,000 in 2015
to 880,000 in 2020.
Xi has also committed that China will develop more programs for people with
disabilities, promote their all-round development and shared prosperity, and
strive to ensure access to rehabilitation services for everyone.
Official data in September 2021 showed that the coverage of basic
rehabilitation therapies and training among registered persons with
disabilities reached 80 percent by the end of 2020, up from 65.6 percent five
years ago.
"The rights and interests of people with disabilities in the country have been
better protected," read a white paper on China's parasports released on
Thursday. As a result, they now have "a stronger sense of fulfillment,
happiness and security."
Progress in parasports
When inspecting the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games, President Xi pledged that China would deliver an excellent and
extraordinary Games.
The country must be considerate in providing convenient, efficient, targeted
and meticulous services for athletes, particularly in meeting the special needs
of athletes with disabilities by building accessible facilities, Xi said in
January.
According to the white paper, Beijing now has realized basic accessibility in
its core area and a more standardized, accommodating and systemic barrier-free
environment. A total of 336,000 facilities and sites have been modified since
2019.
China's performances in parasports are also improving steadily, said the white
paper. In 2021, Team China claimed 207 medals at the Summer Paralympics in
Tokyo, including 96 golds, topping both the overall medal standings and the
gold medal tally for the fifth consecutive time.
At the news on the night of the closing ceremony, Xi hailed the remarkable
achievement of the Chinese Paralympic athletes.
It reflected both the sportsmanship and sporting prowess of the athletes with
disabilities and the progress China had made in human rights and national
development, he said.
Source: CGTN
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