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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.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-03-04/China-stands-together-with-people-with-disabilities-for-shared-future-18864tzAYQ8/index.html

Source: CGTN